First-Year Students Unite for Community Engagement Day
Biology major Jordan Balbuena wandered through a crowd of hundreds of first-year students under the hot end-of-summer sun. The thoughts rolling through her mind were not uncommon among her peers.
鈥淚鈥檓 a little scared,鈥� the Downey High School graduate said. 鈥淚 only know one person here.鈥�
But fear turned to familiarity and strangers transformed into friends by the end of the day for students participating in University of La Verne鈥檚 Community Engagement Day on Aug. 29.
鈥淭his is the largest and best-prepared class in the history of the University of La Verne, and when you survive today, you鈥檙e going to be the toughest class in the history of La Verne,鈥� said Provost Jonathan Reed.
First-year students, along with Orientation Week Leaders, faculty and staff members provided community service at various sites around the Inland Valley and Los Angeles. Students painted rooms and other fixtures at group homes, installed smoke detectors at a mobile home park and planted vegetables at community gardens, among other tasks. Pomona City Councilwoman Debra Clark presented the University with a certificate of appreciation for students’ work at Ganesha Park.
Professor of Humanities Al Clark traveled with students to Glendora to the Colby Trailhead to conduct trail maintenance.
鈥淚鈥檝e been there before the fire, so it will be interesting to see what it鈥檚 like and what we鈥檙e going to do,鈥� he said.
La Verne considers Community Engagement Day the first academic experience for La Verne freshmen, giving them a chance to interact with and bond with faculty and students in their Freshman La Verne Experience learning communities.
Evan Gustafson, a member of the basketball team and a kinesiology major, said he has done community service in the past, such as coaching basketball for children. But La Verne鈥檚 event brings a new dimension to giving back.
鈥淵ou actually get to know professors and students more than you would in class,鈥� he said.
Music major Albert Khalbourji served as an OWL for the event, but remembers working on the farm at the Fairplex as a freshman. Though he did not know many people at the beginning of his first Community Engagement Day, he made plenty of friends by the end. He and fellow students in his FLEX group wound up joining Phi Delta Theta together. His goal as an OWL was to make sure he could help freshmen similarly.
鈥淢y goal is to make sure everyone has a friend,鈥� he said.
Reed also pointed out how the event brings people together.
鈥淭ake a look at your FLEX,鈥� he told students. 鈥淵ou represent the ethnicity, socioeconomics and people of the great state of California, and you are individuals, but by the end of the day, you鈥檙e going to be a community.鈥�
Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Keith Lord said that not only do community organizations benefit from La Verne鈥檚 work, but La Verne students also benefit. After working with the Boys and Girls Club at a previous year鈥檚 event, Lord said students listened to workers tell stories about how they have impacted the lives of young people.
鈥淭he students were inspired,鈥� Lord said. 鈥淚t was powerful.鈥�
