FEATURE: Ann-Lorrayne Bzoch Not Just a Volleyball Player

Being a Division I college athlete can be grueling and time-consuming, but that doesn’t stop University of Florida Volleyball player Ann-Lorrayne Bzoch from finding time to help the community.

Thanks to the University Athletic Association organization Goodwill Gators, Ann-Lorrayne is able to spend four out of the five weekday mornings helping out at different Gainesville elementary schools.

Elementary School Programs in Gainesville

There are multiple programs that UF student-athletes can participate in throughout the course of one week. Each week the post-graduate assistant for the Hawkins Center, Belle Stixrood, sends a list of events going on that week. There could be a lot of things going on that week, or there could only be the events offered weekly.

Weekly service events offered through Goodwill Gators:

• Reading Club – Student-athletes pair up with a fourth-grade student. These students may need extra reading help and might need a good role model.
• Brain Breaks – Student-athletes help lead a class in exercises, and the athletes teach healthy eating habits.
• Gator Club – Student-athletes go to Shands Children’s Hospital to pediatric patients as they await treatment.
• Gator Mentor – Student-athletes team up with some fourth-grade students and help them with their school work.

Who better to demonstrate teamwork to local kids than our own student-athletes! Watch this. #GoGators #GatorGood pic.twitter.com/eHtsz2Vf7n

— Florida Gators (@FloridaGators) October 21, 2017

Giving Back to Her Hometown

Ann-Lorrayne Bzoch grew up in Gainesville. She went to St. Francis Catholic High School where she excelled in both academics and sports. She not only played volleyball but also soccer and basketball. She was the first person in her high school’s history to sign with Sante Fe Community College. Ann-Lorrayne started her college volleyball career at Sante Fe and transferred to UF her sophomore year.

She decided to redshirt her first year as a Gator.

Now, the redshirt junior is studying Business Administration with a focus on Marketing and Finance. Ann-Lorrayne has a fifth year of eligibility and will be working towards earning her masters in International Business.

Ann-Lorrayne is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. This year she serves as treasurer which mean she deals with SAAC’s budget, she learns about different finances that can help people, bring in financial people to help other athletes with their money, etc.

On November 29, Ann-Lorrayne was named to the SEC Volleyball Community Service team. This is the 15th year the SEC has named a community service team. This team is comprised of one player from every SEC volleyball team.

Ann-Lorrayne has put in more than 35 hours of community service since the start of the semester. She goes to all of the events and programs offered through Goodwill Gators.

 

https://twitter.com/GatorsVB/status/936231155967422464

On any typical week, Ann-Lorrayne is at Hidden Oak Elementary on Monday morning;

And Williams Elementary on Thursday morning.

Gator Volleyball and Community Service

Ann-Lorrayne devotes lots of time to be able to serve her community. Her teammates see what she is doing and feel motivated to do the same.

Back in February, Ann-Lorrayne and a few of her teammates participated in an event called “Stomping the Swamp for Autism.”

Junior Taelor Kellum says that not only does Ann-Lorrayne inspire the team to get out, volleyball head coach Mary Wise also motivates her team to give back to the community.

Huge shout out to these athletes starting their day volunteering at 7am! @GatorsTF @GatorsVB @GatorsFB pic.twitter.com/tbmvcqxKkw

— Belle Stixrood (@BelleStixrood) September 19, 2017

Nothing can stop Ann-Lorrayne from going to her weekly community service programs and giving back to the community she grew up in. Hopefully, more Gator athletes join Ann-Lorrayne to help inspire the young minds in the Gainesville community.

Here is the full video of my interview with Ann-Lorrayne: