MEET OUR 2025-2026 INTERNS!
COLLEGE INTERNS
max n.
Max is an engineering student at The University of South Florida. He enjoys playing soccer and hanging out with friends and family. He loves participating at the pantry because it’s a great way for him to meet new people and help give to the community. Max volunteered in high school and now serves as an adult lead on Saturdays; directing traffic, the inputting of guests and overseeing the outside operation on Saturday mornings. We couldn’t do it without him!
HIGH SCHOOL INTERNS
adriana t.
Adriana is a junior at Academy of the Holy Names. Her favorite activity is to play games with her friends and family. She enjoys gaming, traveling and is an animal-lover. Her favorite part about working at the pantry is being able to give food to people in need and making friends with people she works with. Adriana is a very dedicated intern who always shows up when we need her.
ainara g.
Ainara is a senior at Sickles High School. This will be Ari’s second year as an intern. Another summer internship she holds is with the Hillsborough County RISE program, and she also works for a student-run nonprofit called Love in Layers. As a junior in high school, she participated in choir, color guard/marching band, Model United Nations, service clubs, theatre, National Honor Society, and more. She holds many leadership positions and even started her own club. In addition, she performs professional barbershop music with the Toast of Tampa Show Chorus. She is excited to become a Bags of Hope intern and continue helping the community.
Alex w.
Alex is a junior at Tampa Catholic and excited to be an intern. At TC, he participates in varsity football and track and field. He is also involved in the BEST Club, Conversations with Christ and serves as a Student Ambassador. He is also an ambassador for Touchdown Pass Foundation collecting gently used and new football equipment for Tampa Bay youth. He loves hanging out with friends and family and enjoys watching sports. Alex is excited to contribute to Bags of Hope as well as his internship with the Community Food Pantry.
anna T.
Anna is a senior at Sickles High School. Outside of school, she loves spending time with her family and friends, traveling, vlogging, and playing the violin as well as badminton. Helping others has always been important to her and she is so excited to be part of the pantry team. She always looks forward to making a difference, meeting new people, and being a small part of something bigger than herself.
ariana C.
Ariana is a senior at Gaither High School. At school, she is the Vice President of her school’s SAVE Promise/Mental Health club, and secretary of their science club. She is apart of the AdventHealth Explorers program and volunteer there and she is also doing the RISE Internship for Hillsborough county this summer! She loves watching NANA, taking photos, and swimming. She wanted to join the pantry to help others in need and as well gain more experience in her local community!
Arianna T.
Arianna is a senior at Tampa Catholic. During the school year, she stays busy with B.E.S.T. Club, Conversations with Christ, and Gardening Club. She was drawn to the Community Food Pantry internship because it gives her a chance to live out my faith, grow in compassion for others, and build her leadership skills. She loves to laugh and spend quality time with her family and friends. Some of her favorite things to do with her family are watching movies, going on spontaneous day trips, and traveling to new places. She also enjoys creative, hands-on activities like baking, knitting, and ceramics!
avery m.
Avery is a senior at Berkeley Preparatory School. At school, she is on the varsity track and team and is captain of the varisty cheer team. She holds leadership positions in the school yearbook, newspaper, literary magazine, student guides and orchestra and started her own club with her friends called Hearts United in God. Avery also serves on the Meals on Wheels High School Leadership Board, Global Scholars, the Berkeley Institute for Journalism and Communications, and is a published author. She is in the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Quill and Scroll Society, and has recieved national recognition for orchestra and creative writing. She is passionate about lifting people out of food insecurity and is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the work the pantry does. This is her second year as an intern and she cannot wait to return to share the love of Christ!
chelsea L.
Chelsea is a senior at Tampa Catholic. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends, going to the beach, shopping, and playing volleyball. She is class vice president, a member of seven honor societies, campus ministry, the vice president of Rho Kappa Honor Society, and a member of BEST Club. She decided to join the pantry to help people in need and extend God’s love to everyone, regardless of their situation. She also appreciates the opportunity to get to know others who offer such kindness and support to their community. She is excited to be apart of such a special program that provides love and support to those in need!
claire g.
Claire is a sophomore at FLVS. In her free time, she likes to play video games, run with her dog and ride roller coasters with big drops. She also loves to go rock climbing, play basketball, and do anything involving animals. Her favorite foods include cookie dough ice cream and anything covered in cheese. Claire has volunteered at the Community Food Pantry since she was in fifth grade, and has always enjoyed being there due to the fun people and because there is always something different to do. She has seen first-hand the difference helping out at the pantry makes in the community, and is ecstatic to have an opportunity to contribute as an intern.
eshani G.
Eshani is a senior at Steinbrenner High School. She enjoys creative writing and playing music. She is on the FBLA leadership team, a member of Model United Nations, and a percussionist in marching band. She also spends her free time performoring for people in nursing homes and teaching music to children in need. Her favorite thing about working in the pantry is helping those in need and bonding with the other interns.
Gabriella s.
Gabriella is a senior at Sickles High School. At school, she is President of the Environmental Club and is an active contributer to the fight to save our planet with numerous activities such as post-Gasparilla and beach clean-ups. She is a 2025 recipient of the Anne Frank Humanitarian Award and a member of the National Honor Honor Soceity, Science National Honor Society and Rho Kappa Honor Society. This is her second year as an intern and she is a dedicated and hard worker with a passion for lifiting people out of food insecurity who never fails to translate Spanish with guests and help the pantry reach more people in need.
Gianna l.
Gianna is a sophomore at Steinbrenner High School. She enjoys spending her time at the beach with family and friends, as well as listening to music and playing her guitar. She takes part in the Steinbrenner Band and plays flag football for Idlewild Church. Gianna’s favorite thing about the pantry is being able to give back to the community and spread kindness.
grace t.
Grace is a senior at Tampa Catholic. At school, she is on the varisty volleyball team, an executive for the ambassador program, and inolved in eight honor societies. She has played club volleyball for the past six years and even won a national championship in 2022! She has a passion for helping animals and both fosters kittens for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and visits to spend time with the animals. She has two cats and one dog, and enjoys baking, cooking, and playing cards with my parents and older sister. She is so excited to start working with the Community Food Pantry because it is inclusive and strives to help those in need. Grace can’t wait to help people in the community while also working with those who have the same passion as she does!
Kate m.
Kate is senior at Brooks DeBartolo. She is the captian of the girls’ golf team at her school and is a member of Student Ambassadors and National Honor Society. Since starting as a volunteer at the pantry, she has made many connections and learned the importance of appreciation. To her, being an intern creates a sense of piety to the pantry that is hard to forget. Kate has become one of our lead interns and assures that all tasks are completed correcctly. Her attention to detail assures all are served with dignity.
katelyn b.
Katelyn is senior at Sickles High School. She is passionate about helping others and giving back to her community, which is one of the reasons she was excited to join the team at the Community Food Pantry. At school, she is involved in TV Production and compete in both state and national competitions. She also plays the cello, which is one of her favorite creative outlets. Outside of school, she loves reading, spending time with her family, and finding new ways to stay organized and productive. Volunteering at the Community Food Pantry is meaningful to her because she believes everyone deserves access to basic needs like food, and she wants to be part of a team that supports our community with compassion and dignity.
Luke p.
Luke is junior at Academy at the Lakes. He is captain of the swim team, a certified lifeguard with training in water safety and first aid, and a member of the National Honor Society, Brain Bowl team, Dead Poets Society, and Key Club. A dedicated student-athlete, Luke has competed at the regional and state levels in swimming. He began volunteering at the pantry in 2024 and brings energy, responsibility, and a heart for service to every shift. His favorite part of working at the pantry is supporting others and being part of a mission-driven team.
Maya t.
Maya is a senior at Tampa Catholic. She is grateful to be apart of the Community Food Pantry! At school, she is involved in various clubs, honor societies, and sports, including cheerleading and lacrosse. She has a strong passion for serving her community, and one of her favorite projects has been raising money for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Giving back has always been important to her, and she loves finding ways to make a positive impact. She is excited to continue learning, growing, and working with such an amazing group of people.
samhita s.
Samhita is senior at Sickles High School. Some of her favorite extracurriculars are working at her school's Culinary Program and fulfilling her role as secretary of the National English Honors Society. Also, in her free time, she loves to go out and spend time with her friends and family. She loves working with people and collaborating so she is so excited to work with the Community Food Pantry this coming year as helping people have access to basic necessities is a passion of hers.
valentina u.
Valentina is a sophomore at Sickles High School.