Penn State Fayette students complete Day of Service
Photos: Courtesy of Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus
Students from Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, joined others from Penn State Beaver and Penn State Behrend to complete community projects throughout Beaver County.
Courtesy of Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus
Penn State Fayette students stand in front of the Franklin Center of Beaver County.
Penn State students Kenzie Mowry (left) and Joshua Simon paint as part of a community service project in Beaver County.
A group of students from Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, joined some of their colleagues from Penn State Beaver and Penn State Behrend to complete community projects throughout Beaver County on Jan. 16 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The students were divided into groups and assigned to different community projects, which included cleaning a children’s museum, painting a church and organizing a community center.
“It was great to see so many students willing to give up their time and do something like this,” said Maria Catalina, a third-year business and humanities major from Scottdale. “Our group helped a church, and the pastor told us that their community is one that wears their problems on their sleeves. Others might be good at brushing them under the rug and putting on a smile, but not them. There are so many people that need help, and I think we need to realize that more.”
As students from the various Penn State campuses worked together, they formed a special bond.
“We weren’t just Penn State Fayette,” said Kenzie Mowry, a second-year agricultural extension and education major from Mill Run. “It was really cool that we came together as one university to show how much we care about these issues.”
The day also included hearing a speech from Jeffrey W. Young, a motivational speaker known as “Backpack Jeff.”
The students also took time to reflect on the message of Dr. King concerning the importance of doing for others.
“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve,” said Chad Long, Penn State Fayette’s director of student affairs. “If you looked at all the places that we helped, all of these organizations are serving the community. We’re focusing on his legacy and making the lives of other people a little better.”