At the University’s Activities Fair, a plate of chocolate chip cookies attracts passing students. These cookies belong to the University’s Chocolate MYLK Club, a Contracted Independent Organization dedicated to learning about and discussing global issues — all over chocolate milk and snacks.
“MYLK” is an acronym for “Making Young Leaders Knowledgeable,” which echoes the club’s goal to empower students through leadership and service. This project-based organization was founded in 2023 by third-year Batten student Sarah Dunne, who was seeking community service involvement as a first-year student. Dunne was disappointed by the competitive nature of the University’s major service organizations, which compelled her to start this application- and cut-free club — which currently hosts over 30 active members.
“I've done a lot of community service my whole life, [and] that environment is a lot less pretentious inherently,” Dunne said. “But then, [at U.Va.] I found multiple different organizations that are community service based having applications.”
Building off this sentiment, Alicia Rebello, first-year Chocolate MYLK representative and first-year College student, said she appreciates how the club creates opportunities for all students passionate about service. Rebello first joined the club out of a desire to continue a community service project she initiated in high school.
“You’re not doing [the club] because you need to get somewhere, but because you want to do something,” Rebello said. “It’s not a pre-professional [fraternity], it’s not a music club, which — those are super cool. But [at Chocolate MYLK] you want to look at something outside of [your] professional and academic interests, because you have a passion, and you want to ultimately make a better community and make a better society.”
While the club’s mission is rooted in social impact, its execution is intentionally lighthearted. Georgia Burstein, president of Chocolate MYLK and second-year College student, said she maintains a silly, informal atmosphere during meetings that makes it easy for members to bond and exchange ideas.
“We want people to speak up about their ideas,” Burstein said. “I think it's important, right off the bat at the beginning of every meeting, to make sure people want to contribute and feel safe. If you say something stupid, none of us care, because we’re probably going to say something stupid three seconds later.”
At the beginning of each semester, Chocolate MYLK hosts workshops that give members the project management skills they need in order to devise an actionable solution to a perceived need in the University or greater Charlottesville community. Workshops focus on pitching ideas, managing logistics and gathering a diverse array of perspectives.
Following the workshop period, members are encouraged to pitch their service ideas to the club’s general body. Previous ideas have ranged from hurricane relief to donations to Charlottesville’s women’s shelters. If a project idea gains enough interest, the club provides the necessary resources to bring the vision to life. Resources include funding and physical materials like tabling equipment, as well as members who sign up to participate in projects they are passionate about.
However, not all projects yield tangible results. Members have learned to expect that unforeseen hurdles may appear along the way. While it may be disappointing to see a project fall flat, both Dunne and Burstein agree that failure is also a great learning experience.
“Some [projects] were fantastic, but some of them kind of fell to the wayside, and didn’t really get attention and get participants, which I think is important for a club like this,” Burstein said. “We want you to try. You might fail, but that’s a part of trying.”
This culture of trial and error is precisely what allows Chocolate MYLK’s most successful initiatives to have a big impact on both the University community and the club’s own identity. During the spring 2025 semester, all members came together for two cornerstone projects oriented towards service staff members at the University. Their Service Worker Appreciation project, a universal favorite, invited students across Grounds to write notes of appreciation for service staff members, which were then handed out to facilities and dining hall staff — accompanied by donuts.
“[The project] was not a huge [thing],” Dunne said. “But it got everybody involved … so everyone felt really personally connected to it. And then it really did physically have an impact, like [the staff] were really happy to be appreciated, as everybody is.”
Another project allowed club members to volunteer to serve meals during Thanksgiving Throwdowns, a series of Thanksgiving-themed dinners at each of the three dining halls. During Throwdown nights, club members stepped in to serve meals so dining hall staff could take a well-deserved break and enjoy the evening.
For Burstein, serving Thanksgiving Throwdown at Newcomb was both a meaningful and an eye-opening experience. The experience gave her a greater appreciation for the fast-paced work dining hall employees carry out each day to keep students fed and the dining halls running smoothly. It also inspired her to continue Chocolate MYLK’s involvement in supporting dining hall staff this semester.
“There needs to be a higher level of respect given to the dining hall staff,” Burstein said. “I’m truly aware of that now because of that experience … Having that firsthand experience really is what makes me want to lean more into focusing on dining hall appreciation and doing our best to actually tangibly relieve them of whatever may be their biggest tension point.”
Aside from projects like these, Chocolate MYLK also hosts parties, mixers and end-of-year celebrations. The Fall 2025 semester included a party hosted by the executive board that blended work and play, with members presenting their projects while drinking hot chocolate and making t-shirts.
“It’s the coolest club, I think, on this campus,” Rebello said. “It’s not just academics, it’s not just community service, it’s not just a social club. It’s all three.”
Looking forward, the club’s leadership wants to create a future that balances structure and accessibility. Burstein is focused on building a system that would allow all future projects to run smoothly.
Echoing this sentiment, Dunne emphasized the importance of long-term sustainability over boosting membership. She outlined a vision where the club remains permanently application-free and steadfast in its dedication to community service.
“My long-term goals are less focused on growing,” Dunne said. “I [want] to make sure that we build a strong foundation so that this club continues to do exactly what it's doing long after [we are] gone.”
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