UCLI’s Back-to-School Drive: Inspiring Lifelong Learning

Learn how a UCLI intern’s personal journey with the Boys and Girls Club inspired an impactful back-to-school drive in Utah. Sabrina shares how this experience has shaped her commitment to lifelong activism. Learn how two organizations are making a difference, one student at a time.

The Drive

This past month, UCLI had the privilege of spearheading a Back-to-School Drive in collaboration with Backman Elementary School and the Boys and Girls Club, which serves local schools across Utah. We put out the call and Utah’s legal community answered in a big way; attorneys, legal professionals, and community members donated hundreds of items, including backpacks, notebooks, pencil cases, pencils, pens, crayons, erasers, highlighters, folders, and hygiene items. UCLI interns, volunteers, and staff members assisted with packaging the items into individual backpacks containing everything a student could need for their first day of school. Monetary donations allowed us to purchase items in bulk to supplement all the supplies and ensure we had everything we needed. Once the items were ready, it was time to share them with students!

The first drop off event was held on Saturday, August 10 in Utah County, where UCLI’s hundreds of donations joined the many more provided to the Boys and Girls Club, and students could select the items they needed for the school year. The second drop off event was held at Backman Elementary School’s Back-to-School night on August 28. Children and their families poured into the auditorium and had the opportunity to select a backpack full of supplies and learn more about UCLI and its resources. Overall, the Drive was a smashing success and it was thanks to the generosity and engagement of the legal community. It is great to know that despite the many barriers being enacted for underserved students across the state, we can still make a difference.

The Story Behind the Drive

UCLI’s summer intern, Sabrina Ruiz Monroy, led this project. For everyone who donated, this effort was about contributing to students’ success across Utah, even if in a small way. But for Sabrina, this project held an especially deep and personal significance.

Sabrina spent most of her life growing up in South Florida. Due to financial constraints, she couldn’t always participate in paid school sports or join clubs that required extra fees. During this challenging time, the Boys and Girls Club became a lifeline for her family. After her mother was introduced to the program by word of mouth, she soon enrolled Sabrina.

For Sabrina’s family, the Boys and Girls Club was a reliable support system. It provided her with opportunities to engage in STEM lab environments, play volleyball and other sports, and, most importantly, benefit from a mentor who guided her through her academic journey. Fast forward to today, Sabrina has helped gather school supplies for students in Boys and Girls Clubs across Utah County. She is now nearing graduation from Brigham Young University and preparing to apply to law school, with the hope of continuing to give back to her communities. Her journey is a testament to the transformative power of community support and personal resilience.

The Boys and Girls Club has a motto that Sabrina believes is essential for all of us to embrace: “Whatever it takes.” This philosophy recognizes that it takes an army of people, a safe environment, high-quality programs, and unique experiences to level the playing field for all kids. As they say, “The Boys & Girls Clubs don’t just do one thing; we do whatever it takes to build great futures.” This mission aligns closely with UCLI’s belief in the fundamental dignity and equality of all people, as both organizations are committed to seeing individuals for who they are and who they can become, while fostering a safe and inclusive environment where everyone is heard and respected. This shared commitment to social justice and equality unites us in our efforts to make a difference.

Reflecting on the impact of the Boys and Girls Club, Sabrina shared, “The Boys and Girls Club means so much to me because they are an organization that truly cares about students and their lives. They care about whether you have food, your mental health, your spelling bee, your winning goal. So when UCLI gave me the chance to lead a fun side project, organizing a school drive to support students in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Club was a no-brainer.”

As Sabrina continues on her academic and professional journey, she hopes to leave behind a legacy of activism. She recalled a moment from a class when a professor said, “Each of you is here because we know that you care profoundly about something greater than yourselves. You all want to make a change… We are the activists of our time.” At first, Sabrina hesitated, worried she might be diminishing the work of those who have founded justice movements or written bestselling books. But she came to realize that activism is not a title; it’s a practice. It’s about doing the deep and devoted work of lifelong change-making.

For activism to be consistent, it must be sustainable—lasting a lifetime, not just a season. It must make sense in the context of who we are, what our lives look like, what we are skilled at, what inspires us, and what our capacity is. The Boys and Girls Club understands this, and Sabrina firmly believes that UCLI does too. She looks forward to continuing the upward cycle, and empowering students to begin their own journeys of activism, education, and service.