They seem like unlikely advocates for HIV and AIDS awareness in South Florida.
Most of these college students are under 20, dealing with the stress of roommate conflicts and their top priority is graduating on time.
But for the past two years, Leaders in Residence, a student dormitory hall at Florida International University, has been educating its college peers about the facts of the disease and its affect on the South Florida community through The “Be HIV Educated” Project, also known by the acronym B-HIVE.
Most of these college students are under 20, dealing with the stress of roommate conflicts and their top priority is graduating on time.
But for the past two years, Leaders in Residence, a student dormitory hall at Florida International University, has been educating its college peers about the facts of the disease and its affect on the South Florida community through The “Be HIV Educated” Project, also known by the acronym B-HIVE.
“There’s still a lot of myths surrounding the disease and we’re trying to change that,” said Monique Tavarez, a senior who has lived in the hall for two years.
It started in 2005, when Tamara Marryshow, a resident assistant on campus, felt a change needed to happen.
Marryshow was a college junior then and involved in a host of extracurricular activities. But as her time at college was nearing its end, she was concerned that the FIU community was not taking a stand on an issue that affects thousands of local residents.
“There were no awareness programs to educate people about HIV and AIDS,” she said.
She knew that she wanted to start a movement that would motivate others to continue making a difference when she was gone, while providing a forum for education.
The structure of the program was simple: year-long fundraising efforts through car washes, pizza sales and raffle tickets would allow the project to make a hefty donation to a local organization and a day-long event on World Aid’s Day would satisfy the educational component through free HIV testing, speakers and testimonials from those who have the disease.
With the help of Marryshow’s close friends, the project raised almost $3,000 for the Children’s Home Society of Florida, an organization that helps families whose lives have been affected by HIV and AIDS.
The following year, Marryshow got her own Leaders in Residence students involved and made it their project. The chosen beneficiary since then has been The Center for Positive Connections, a facility in Miami Shores that provides various services like holistic health treatment, counseling and job assistance.
“There were no awareness programs to educate people about HIV and AIDS,” she said.
She knew that she wanted to start a movement that would motivate others to continue making a difference when she was gone, while providing a forum for education.
The structure of the program was simple: year-long fundraising efforts through car washes, pizza sales and raffle tickets would allow the project to make a hefty donation to a local organization and a day-long event on World Aid’s Day would satisfy the educational component through free HIV testing, speakers and testimonials from those who have the disease.
With the help of Marryshow’s close friends, the project raised almost $3,000 for the Children’s Home Society of Florida, an organization that helps families whose lives have been affected by HIV and AIDS.
The following year, Marryshow got her own Leaders in Residence students involved and made it their project. The chosen beneficiary since then has been The Center for Positive Connections, a facility in Miami Shores that provides various services like holistic health treatment, counseling and job assistance.
Former Executive Director James Konschnik said the center had been devastated by cuts in federal funding and the students’ donations have been used to fund scholarships for those who cannot afford to pay for the center’s services.
"We are so grateful to the students of FIU for their help," he said.
Now that Marryshow has graduated, students like Rachel Alexander have stepped up to ensure that B-HIVE continues to be successful.
Alexander, who helped out in homeless shelters throughout high school, said that volunteering locally motivates people because they see results.
“It isn’t just handing a check to a random person. You actually see the person’s face and the impact of what you’ve done,” she said.
Though she’s never known anyone with the disease, the project inspired her to take on more responsibility, such as leading a trip to the Gay Men’s Health Crisis center in New York last March. After spending a week with the HIV positive community, Alexander said it allowed her to put faces to a “human disease that affects us all.”
“It has no boundaries. Ballet dancers, multimillionaires, homeless people—it can happen to anyone,” she said.
Stephanie Hernandez, this year's B-HIVE director, got involved the same year as Alexander. She admits that she was swept up into the program by her resident assistant, Marryshow.
Her motivation changed after she saw her first B-HIVE testimonial. Though she does not remember the exact words anymore, she said she can still remember the woman’s emotion.
Alexander, who helped out in homeless shelters throughout high school, said that volunteering locally motivates people because they see results.
“It isn’t just handing a check to a random person. You actually see the person’s face and the impact of what you’ve done,” she said.
Though she’s never known anyone with the disease, the project inspired her to take on more responsibility, such as leading a trip to the Gay Men’s Health Crisis center in New York last March. After spending a week with the HIV positive community, Alexander said it allowed her to put faces to a “human disease that affects us all.”
“It has no boundaries. Ballet dancers, multimillionaires, homeless people—it can happen to anyone,” she said.
Stephanie Hernandez, this year's B-HIVE director, got involved the same year as Alexander. She admits that she was swept up into the program by her resident assistant, Marryshow.
Her motivation changed after she saw her first B-HIVE testimonial. Though she does not remember the exact words anymore, she said she can still remember the woman’s emotion.
“I could just tell by the look on her face that she was so grateful,” she said. “The center helps her and we help the center.”
In the past two years, the students have raised over $6,000 for the center.
Alexander and Hernandez are now roommates. Their room is overflowing with bees, the honorary mascot of the project. There are flyers with bees on them scattered on the floor, bee cutouts pasted to their doors and even plastic piggy banks painted with the black and yellow striped jacket of the insect.
Alexander and Hernandez are now roommates. Their room is overflowing with bees, the honorary mascot of the project. There are flyers with bees on them scattered on the floor, bee cutouts pasted to their doors and even plastic piggy banks painted with the black and yellow striped jacket of the insect.
Typically, students are only allowed to live in the Leaders in Residence hall for one year. But for the first time, student mentors can return and guide the new students in the community’s traditions.
Both women said they want the new residents to feel invested in the project. Hernandez said the hall is the core support for the program.
Though students have to juggle a lot with their responsibilities as committee members, Alexander said the bonus is connecting with hall mates in a deeper way than in other college dormitories.
Both women said they want the new residents to feel invested in the project. Hernandez said the hall is the core support for the program.
Though students have to juggle a lot with their responsibilities as committee members, Alexander said the bonus is connecting with hall mates in a deeper way than in other college dormitories.
"Working with peers who care, I've learned that a common goal is more important than anything else. It really brings people together," she said.
Rosemary Artigas, one of the new students in the hall, said the project is what initially drew her to live there.
"The idea that this hall dedicates itself to service of others in our community was amazing. I knew I wanted to be a part of that," she said.
Alexander said that the ultimate goal is to have it become a larger, campus-wide event and that there are some students interested in starting the project at the University of Miami.
Artigas, who has helped out at pizza sales, said the hard work is worth it because of the program’s potential growth.
“I just know that this will be huge one day and it’s kind of cool to know that we’ll be the founders,” she said with a smile.
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