New club recruits helping hands

There's a new club on campus that wants to give a helping hand to those offering a helping hand.

Knight Advocates, a new pre-professional club, is aiming to do just that for students looking to get into the field of victim advocacy.

"I wanted to start up a club on campus because there was nothing on campus that related to advocacy, which is a professional field," said Desiree Acampora, the founder and president of Knight Advocates.

Acampora, a senior, currently works in the office of Victim Services as a victim advocate after interning there for a year.

Her office works alongside the UCF Police Department in giving aid and support to victims of crime ranging from sexual assault, to abuse and homicide.

As an intern, Acampora wanted to become as involved as she could within the field of advocacy because she knew it was the career that she desired to professionally pursue. She felt that an organization on campus could help other students who were interested as well.

With the help of Christine Mouton, the director of Victim Services, Acampora was able to set the wheels in motion for this new club.

Mouton is a board member on the Florida Network of Victim Witness Services, a state non-profit organization that promotes victim advocacy.

"We had talked about getting more students involved in the organization and how could we do that, so it was decided that we needed some student representation on our state board," Mouton said.

Mouton nominated Acampora for a board position, and from there she began developing the organization.

"It provides students with opportunities to engage in training, getting to know more people in the field. It's a networking opportunity," Mouton said.

Because of the scarce job market right now, Mouton feels that students should learn how to properly network and secure a job after they are finished with school.

The benefits seem to be panning out for the club as well, despite the fact that the club started in the midst of the spring semester.

"It had a late start to it, but I had a really good turn out and a good response from people who were interested," Acampora said.

Acampora has been in contact with about 30 people total who are interested in the club but has been unable to meet with them due to scheduling conflicts.

She hopes to be able to have a steady number of members once the fall semester begins.

Meeting turn-out has been consistent with about 16 active members so far, with the majority representing the criminal justice field.

Though the club is open to all majors, both Acampora and Mouton are not surprised by the number of criminal justice majors within the club since victim advocates work so closely with police departments.

The criminal justice program at UCF also provides a certificate for students looking to get into the field, so there is more incentive to join a club that may improve their chances at securing a job.

Acampora, on the other hand, is a psychology major and feels that the club could be beneficial to anyone studying psychology, sociology, women's studies or social work.

"I think psychology helps you be a more compassionate person. Compassion can't be learned, but psychology can help you understand what some people are going through," Acampora said.

Senior English major Amanda Hankins serves as the club's event planner. She feels that her extensive background in literature has helped her learn how to be more compassionate toward victims.

"I'm culturally well-read, so I know a lot about other cultures and other places, which is important to the field of advocacy because you have to be very open-minded," Hankins said.

According to Hankins, she first became interested in the field of advocacy through her women's studies classes and their service learning opportunities.

"Those women are so passionate about protecting other people and helping other people and spreading the word and awareness," Hankins said. "It's hard not to get involved, and it's hard not to be passionate about it when everyone around you is so passionate about the issue."

Hankins wants to attend graduate school and become a social worker and hopes this club will help her network with other individuals who share her interest.

There are no group meetings during the summer, but the members will be participating in a group challenge on the Challenge Course used by the ROTC on campus leading up to an advocate training conference hosted by the Florida Network of Victim Witness Services on June 23-24.

This conference is one of several special activities planned in addition to hosting guest speakers and training sessions.

Acampora is hoping to see an increase in attendance during the fall semester and is working toward funding a new scholarship for victims of crime.

Just this past year, Mouton saw a huge increase in intern applications, with 80 different applicants applying for an internship with Victim Services.

"It shows that there is a need and that students are looking for these types of opportunities, even at UCF," Mouton said. "These students, depending on their year, senior or junior, they can already have two years of experience."

Hankins is one of those interns that can't wait to get a head start on her career.

"A lot of victim/witness providers have been affected by crimes in some form or another, so these people are survivors, if not superheroes."