Students Help Out, Make Friends During Community Engagement Day

Michelle Suarez picked cherry tomatoes and lettuce while her classmates laid down mulch and planted seedlings at Pomona’s Urban Mission garden, a site that serves the homeless.

For the University of La Verne freshman psychology major, the simple act of harvesting vegetables held a deeper meaning.

“It’s important, because we need to see different aspects of society,” the Pomona resident said. “Some people don’t have the resources that others have, so we need to help them out.”

Suarez was one of 553 students, faculty, and staff participating in Freshman La Verne Experience (FLEX) and New Student Community Engagement Day on Aug. 26. It is the first college experience for hundreds of freshmen each year.

“This is your opportunity here at the University of La Verne to throw that little pebble and make that ripple,” University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman said. “It’s all about impact. It’s about making a difference with those around you.”

Volunteers painted buildings, cleaned parks, washed cars, and did yardwork at locations across Southern California, saving community groups an estimated $40,000 in labor costs.

The event is part of the broader Freshman La Verne Experience program, which places new students in learning communities. The same students take several courses together based on their majors, forming bonds along the way with their fellow Leos and professors.

FLEX Day serves as a great way to break the ice, said freshman music major Kaitlyn McClanahan. The Los Osos High School graduate volunteered for gardening work with her classmates.

“I’ll be able to put a face to a name before class starts on Monday,” she said.

Many students had done community service previously.

Campus leaders said community service teaches college students important lessons that can carry on far into the future.

“Sometimes it might be their first time doing community service and they don’t realize there’s many opportunities for them to make a difference at locations nearby,” said Michelle Kechichian, associate director of undergraduate business programs.

Kechichian, who did beautification work with 23 students at David & Margaret Youth and Family Services, said the connections students make in the community lead to opportunities for volunteer work beyond FLEX Day.

Instructor of biology Pablo Weaver, who gardened with students at Amy’s Farm in Ontario, said FLEX Day goes to the heart of the university.

“It gets them thinking about why they’re here and the mission of the university,” he said.