Originally from India, undergraduate student Husena Rajkotwala moved to the United States when she was four years old and grew up near Dade City, Fla. As she anticipates her graduation from the USF College of Public Health in the spring of 2025, Rajkotwala is balancing multiple roles in the name of service and health.
When she’s not immersed in studies related to her bachelor's degree with minors in infection control and environmental health, Rajkotwala spends most of her free time outside of the classroom volunteering and serving the community.
“I intern at both the Florida Department of Health's Bureau of Public Health Laboratories focusing on health care associated infections testing in the virology department and the USF Center for Brownfields Research and Redevelopment,” Rajkotwala said. “I also serve as a student assistant in the USF College of Engineering’s human resources department and as a student ambassador for Feeding Tampa Bay .”
Rajkotwala said she originally found out about Feeding Tampa Bay’s student ambassador program through the COPH.
“I completed a questionnaire that allowed FTB to learn a little more about me and I was selected to be a part of the program,” she said.
As an ambassador for FTB, Rajkotwala said her work primarily consists of bringing light to the food insecurity struggles in the Tampa Bay community as well as working to address those issues through volunteer efforts.
Image of plates of food that Rajkotwala served at Trinity Café (Photo courtesty of Rajkotwala)
"Feeding Tampa Bay makes it their mission to help people in all aspects of their lives throughout the Tampa Bay community,” Rajkotwala said. “To help address food insecurity, FTB offers multiple services including Trinity Café.”
According to their website, Trinity Cafe is a free, full-service restaurant for those in need of a healthy meal. Operating 365 days a year, a chef prepares fresh, nutritious dishes for guests.
“The volunteer positions resemble that of a restaurant. My primary roles have been as a server, table host and dessert table attendant,” she said. “I particularly enjoy this volunteer role because the patrons are people from all walks of life and are always willing to share their stories, which are interesting to hear.”
Rajkotwala said other food services include free grocery pick up for families, an onsite store where shoppers can find food essentials, a program which brings meals to afterschool and summer school programs and a mobile grocery store.
“Outside of food resources, FTB also provides disaster relief services, support to help people navigate and connect with community resources already in place and a state licensed certification program that offers stability through education,” she said.
Social media is a tool that Rajkotwala said is used by student ambassadors to amplify the message of the services offered through FTB.
“It is important as ambassadors for FTB that we use social media to help share the resources and knowledge that is offered to our community,” she said. “We are expected to make at least ten social media posts during our time in the program and are provided with a toolbox of resources to help us make this happen.”
Image of plates of food that Rajkotwala served at Trinity Café (Photo courtesty of Rajkotwala)
“Through my work as a student ambassador for FTB, I hope to bring awareness to the socioeconomic issues Tampa Bay is currently facing,” Rajkotwala said. “One of the things that I’ve learned is that there are so many individuals in our community who do not fit the “typical” description of someone who may be in need and may be the people who tend to “slip through the cracks.” That really stuck with me and I hope I can help these people find their voice and get the help they need.”