During Spring Break, a group of Waynesburg University students served at various sites throughout Greene County and in Pittsburgh.
The projects were led and organized by Adrienne Tharp, director of the Center for Service Leadership and Bonner Scholars Program, and Avery White, assistant director of the Center for Service Leadership and Bonner Scholars Program.
More than 30 students participated in volunteer work at the Greene County Habitat for Humanity, Waynesburg University Unity Trail, WWJD (after school program), World Vision and This Generation Connect, an initiative in Pittsburgh that was launched by a graduate of Waynesburg University and former Bonner Scholar.
The group also organized their own 24-hour food stamp challenge where students were placed in families, provided a budget to grocery shop for three meals and were encouraged to stick to that plan. It was an exercise designed to highlight the hardship of food insecurity.
Macy Moore, a freshman early childhood/special education major, served at the Greene County Historical Society, WWJD and World Vision.
“Being involved in the community…is a very heartwarming experience,” she shared. “I not only loved the service that was completed with the trip but also got to form bonds with my fellow Bonners and got to know them more on a personal level.”
The work that she and her peers did at these sites was beneficial in both local and global ways.
At WWJD, students helped children take a break from schoolwork to build and design Pinewood Derby cars.
“WWJD is an after-school tutoring program for the youth of the surrounding area, so the kids were able to take a break from homework and instead race their own cars,” Moore said. “We were able to watch the kids have fun and invite their parents to watch the race to get everyone involved.”
At World Vision, Moore and others packed articles of clothing to be shipped to strategic locations of need throughout the world.
“This [work] is very important because it is helping people around the world in such an impactful way,” Moore added.
Another student, Isaiah Mathews, a sophomore criminal justice administration major, noted that it was “worth the wait” to participate in such an immersive project like this. He didn’t have the opportunity for in-person service projects during his freshman year due to pandemic restrictions.
“[The] retreat was one of the most immersive service opportunities that I’ve had the liberty to attend,” Mathews said. “The memories that I made during this trip were very impactful.”
In addition to participating in the same projects as Moore, Mathews also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, where the crew was involved in renovating an old building to create new living space for the community in which it’s located.
The following students participated:
- Joula Anderson, junior nursing major from Greensburg, Pennsylvania
- Tyler Banks, sophomore sports management major from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania
- Megan Barry, freshman sports media major from North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
- Chris Battaglia, senior sociology (family studies) major from Roaming Shores, Ohio
- Zoe Belknap, sophomore psychology major from Vandergrift, Pennsylvania
- Sarah Bloom, sophomore early childhood/special education major from Bridgeport, Ohio
- McKenna Bothell, freshman nursing major from Indiana, Pennsylvania
- Reggie Branson, freshman business management major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Alison Cammisa, senior early childhood/special education major from Renfrew, Pennsylvania
- Brennan Campbell, freshman criminal justice administration major from Meyersdale, Pennsylvania
- Hope Casteline, freshman nursing major from Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania
- Shekinah Chandler, junior nursing major from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania
- Grace Deep, senior human services education major from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
- Jacinda Devart, junior criminal justice administration major from Grafton, West Virginia
- Annie Gaines, junior nursing major from La Plata, Maryland
- Jesse Hazelet, junior environmental science major from Herminie, Pennsylvania
- Kai Herbert, sophomore applied business major from Baltimore, Maryland
- Garrett Hillard, freshman criminal justice administration major from Greenville, Pennsylvania
- Luke Hostetler, junior nursing major from Mercer, Pennsylvania
- Adam Huckestein, sophomore marketing major from Saxonburg, Pennsylvania
- Shane Hughes, sophomore finance major from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
- Katelyn Kobert, sophomore exercise science/pre-master of athletic training major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Hannah Koty, sophomore psychology major from Enon Valley, Pennsylvania
- Isaiah Mathews, sophomore criminal justice administration major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Marco Moorby, junior forensic investigation major from Carnegie, Pennsylvania
- Macy Moore, freshman early childhood/special education major from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
- Cris O’Brien, freshman criminal justice administration major from Chesterfield, Virginia
- Ross Owens, freshman biblical & ministry studies major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Rachel Redinger, sophomore history major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Naomi Skeete, freshman cybersecurity & forensics major from Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania
- Cole Thiec, junior nursing major from Stoneboro, Pennsylvania
- Alix Tipton, freshman nursing major from Meyersdale, Pennsylvania
- Claire Vanderwater, freshman forensic science major from Orange, Virginia
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