Devyne Davis photographed for graduation ceremony in December 2023. (Photo courtesy of Devyne Davis)
The USF College of Arts and Sciences Department of Communication includes a senior capstone course as part the communication degree program curriculum. Devyne Davis, a recent December 2023 graduate, successfully completed the course with a project focused on improving educational resources for at-risk youth in the Tampa Bay area.
The capstone course is designed for undergraduate seniors to connect theoretical knowledge with practical application, involve themselves in real-world communication scenarios, and critically assess audiences and issues. For her project, Davis selected to partner with Joshua House, a non-profit organization that caters to abused, abandoned, or neglected children, most often from foster care situations.
Davis’ first encounter with Joshua House began while volunteering through her church’s, ‘Serve Saturdays.’
“I had previously volunteered with Joshua House through my church’s Serve Saturdays, where I learned more about the facility and the responsibilities of the staff. Having family and close friends that have spent time in foster care and in social work, I’ve been close to children in the system. I’ve watched kids show up to homes with only a garbage bag and a few belongings because they’ve lost things going from home to home. When I had the opportunity to help give back to the children in my community, it was a no-brainer to partner with them,” Davis said.
Noticing this gap of limited resources for at-risk youth in her community, Davis jumped at the chance to create change.
“One thing that you don’t see is many kids in the foster care system with is educational materials. I believe that every kid should have access to the resources to read and learn from. These kids are also often behind, or more susceptible to falling behind in school from constant relocation, lack of parental figures, guidance, and interests. When starting this project, my goal was to collect 250 books, 10 sets of learning materials, and $250 towards a monetary donation,” Davis explained.
With her goals in mind, Davis put a plan into action. She started by setting up donation bins around her neighborhood and school. However, she encountered an unexpected challenge when donations were slow to come in.
Books and learning materials collected by Devyne Davis for her senior capstone project partnered with Joshua House. (Photo courtesy of Devyne Davis)
“I had to restructure some of my goals to accommodate my donation pace, which resulted in more realistic numbers that I should have started out with in the first place. I was gifted a very pleasant surprise when my friend’s mom offered for me to take any of her books from her high school classroom. She allowed me to go through her classroom bookshelves, giving me free reign to take whatever I wanted. This was a huge help as it allowed me to collect over 200 books,” Davis said.
Achieving her goals for both books and learning materials, Davis also aimed to raise $250 as a donation to Joshua House. Similar to her friend’s mom for offering assistance, Davis found support in her community through her grandmother's church, Friendship C.M.E. Church. After learning about Davis’ initiative, the church came together resulting in a generous $500 check.
In total, Davis collected 263 books, acquired 20 sets of flashcards and workbooks, and presented a $500 check on behalf of her grandmother’s church. The donated materials were used in a mock book fair held by Joshua House in November of 2023.
“Joshua House had informed me of their mock book fair, which consisted of the children being able to browse and pick out their own books. The books that I had collected for them were offered as book options that the kids could keep. I hope that the kids were able to increase their interest in reading and learning with having more access to the things they need to make it a more positive habit or hobby,” Davis said.
Davis aspires to carry her passion for helping at-risk youth into her future career. She is set to attend law school at the University of Florida this upcoming Fall, and already plans to continue supporting Joshua House during her free time.
The $500 check donated by Friendship C.M.E. Church to the Joshua House project. (Photo
courtesy of
Devyne Davis)
“I’ve moved out of the state since graduating in December, but luckily, my family still lives in the area and have been making weekly visits to Joshua House as volunteer readers. I am excited to join them when I come home to visit and when I return to Florida for law school in August. I also plan to volunteer during the holiday season as much as possible,” Davis said. “As an aspiring law student and sports and entertainment attorney, I see great potential in continuing my passion for supporting at-risk youth. My potential network and clientele could create a great community of possible mentors and partners for working with the youth community. I hope to combine these aspirations with my experience as an athlete, to create more opportunities for at-risk youth to excel in sports, while also instilling the importance of school in them.”
Learn more about ways to support Joshua House at their website.