From the Pool to the Community: How Being a Student-Athlete Inspired Me to Start a Movement

By Samantha Schoenborn

As a competitive swimmer, my life was a cycle of early mornings, intense practice sessions, weekend meets, and endless traveling. Balancing athletics and academics were difficult enough, but when the time came to fulfill my high school service hour requirement, I was faced with a new challenge: attempting to find volunteer work around my schedule. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and everything came to a halt.

Almost overnight, opportunities for volunteering disappeared. Nonprofits canceled events, schools closed, and students like me were left asking a difficult question: how were we going to give back to our communities when no one was accepting volunteers?

In response, my brother and I established Making Waves FL in 2020; a student-led community service organization aimed at helping students, particularly student-athletes, find flexible, meaningful ways to volunteer, even in times of uncertainty. What began as the solution to our own problem quickly evolved into something far greater: a movement to connect students with causes that they care about, support local nonprofits, and demonstrate the power of youth-driven change.

Over the past four years, Making Waves FL has partnered with a diverse range of nonprofit organizations. I’ve gone from cleaning horse stalls and scrubbing buckets at animal rescues to leading beach cleanups, farm labor, and hurricane relief drives in collaboration with Global Empowerment Mission. I’ve helped coordinate supply collections for the Humane Society, volunteered with Feeding South Florida, and supported Special Olympics swim meets, cheering on athletes from the pool deck.

We have partnered with many wonderful organizations over the years, including:

• SOS Children's Villages Florida, raising funds for kids in foster care

• Shaka Soul Surfers, helping kids with special needs experience the joy of surfing

• Make Our Schools Safe, advocating for stronger safety measures in schools

• Becca’s Closet, collecting prom dresses so every student feels celebrated

• Kids of Love, supporting children with cancer and chronic illnesses

• Jacob’s Shoes, running shoe drives to help kids step confidently into their futures

Each experience has reinforced a lesson I now treasure deeply: community service is not something to mark off a list, it's learning how to be present, to lead with empathy, and to find meaning in service.

As an athlete, I’ve developed discipline, focus, and resilience. As a volunteer, I’ve learned how to listen, how to lead thoughtfully, and how to create meaningful impact. That’s the heart of Making Waves FL. It’s more than a name, it’s a mission: to empower students to create ripples of change in their communities.

My brother and I have spent countless hours coordinating events, organizing donation drives, building relationships with nonprofits, and promoting opportunities on our website and social media with the goal of allowing students to give back without having to sacrifice their academic or athletic commitments.

This experience has taught me that leadership isn't about being the loudest voice, it's about stepping forward when called to action. And true impact doesn't necessarily have to be large; it begins with something genuine.

This fall, I'll be attending Tulane University to pursue my academic as well as my athletic career. Wherever this new adventure leads, one thing remains constant: my dedication to service. I'll keep developing Making Waves FL, continuing to work for the causes I care about, and discovering new ways in which to give back to the communities I belong to.

To every student who thinks they're too busy to get involved—you're not. You just need the right chance along with a reason to care.

We’re not just earning hours.

We’re building a movement.

And we’re making waves, one act of service at a time.