Sophomores Take A Step In Making a Difference in Their Community

Sophomores participating at the Schiller Park Beautification.

As juniors were taking ACTs on April 23, sophomore students were making a difference in their community through various community service projects.

In the past years, sophomores would have been taking practice tests in order to prepare for the ACTs. However, this year, sophomores were given the opportunity to choose a community service activity which they were interested in focusing on and contributing to.

These community projects varied from the beautification of both Franklin Park and Schiller Park, to organizing drawers at the Leyden Family Services building, and helping out at the Elmwood Care Nursing Facility.

Regardless of the community service activity, students along with their teachers and chaperones were motivated to step up and help out. For some, this meant giving back to their town, for others, it presented them with an opportunity to take responsibility for the local community.

“The heart of service is important,” said Mr. Michael Fumagalli, who was chaperoning students at Schiller Park. He added that this opportunity provides a sense of ownership and leadership for the students.

“[It’s] good to give back to the world. Because’ this world is our home and [we should] treat [it] as our home,” said sophomore Elizabeth Preciado, who helped in cleaning up Franklin Park.

Along with stepping up and contributing to their community several students made  new and interesting discoveries along the way.

Sophomore Weronika Zaleska, who participated in the Leyden Township community service event, helped clean the yard of a veteran, and found that the most exciting part of helping out was finding a piñata.

Mr. Micheal Brasile, social studies teacher at West, who helped chaperone the Franklin Park Beautification group, found that the most interesting part spending time with the students was seeing “[their] willingness to work, get [their] hands dirty.”

Most teachers and chaperones agreed with wanting to continue the idea of Leyden students helping out in the community.

Mr. Al Lange,  who managed the veteran’s yard clean up by the Leyden Family Services, mentioned that if students want to stay involved in any community service, all they have to do is “keep an ear open.”