At Pitt-Greensburg, each Freshman Seminar class has to perform a community service project. Kristen Stratton, the campus’ Internship coordinator, teaches one of the seminars, and the class’ Peer Leader, Sydney Spino, organizes and executes a community service project for their first-year students. Spino, a second-year data analytics major with a minor in Spanish, helps Stratton to teach the seminar, as well as serving as a mentor to the first-year students. In addition to helping at Summer Orientation and Welcome Week activities, Peer Leaders interact regularly with their assigned students and act as role models, both academically and behaviorally.
Spino, who is from Greensburg and a graduate of Hempfield High School, realized that this was a great opportunity to help another volunteer-based organization.
Working with her step-father, Jeff Guiddy, First Lieutenant with the GVFD Truck Company No. 2 and president of both the fire department and the dive team, Spino has arranged for four to five fire trucks from Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department (GVFD) Truck Company No. 2, West Point Fire Station, and Hempfield Fire Station to be on campus Friday, Nov. 4, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Equipment used by the GVFD Dive Team will also be brought to campus at that time.
As their community service project, the students in the Freshman Seminar class will wash the trucks during the visit. They will also have the opportunity to participate in fire safety demonstrations, try on fire-fighting gear, and learn about being a volunteer firefighter.
“I used to do a lot of community service before I started college,” said Spino. “My aunt would let me tag along when she would volunteer at the St. Vincent DePaul Trash to Treasure Store each summer. I also participated in the Interact Club in high school which focused on community service. My friends and I would volunteer to ring the bell for the Salvation Army at the Westmoreland Mall. While we were playing Christmas music and greeting customers, we knew we were there for a greater cause.”
Once college started and because of COVID-19 restrictions, Spino’s community service activities were more limited. Throughout the academic year, Pitt-Greensburg provides multiple opportunities to students to volunteer with local non-profits. This includes Pitt-Greensburg’s annual Fall Into the Streets and Spring Into the Streets events. Approximately 125 other students, faculty, and staff) at 16 different locations contributed more than 300 hours of total community service.
“I wanted my students to get more involved with the community and to try and help the fire department,” explained Spino. “They are in need of volunteers, so I was happy to give them some assistance. I hope that it gives everyone a sense of appreciation. Not everyone understands what it takes to run a volunteer fire department and the volunteers that are needed.”
“The community service projects that our students are involved in truly help connect them to a sense of greater good,” said Stratton. “It engages them in a collaborative effort with their classmates, while giving back to the community. Community service frequently provides networking opportunities, too. Relationships are built, and, ideally, they can feel proud about their work. From a Career Services standpoint and as the Internship Coordinator, I also encourage this involvement as a great resume builder, and possibly the start of ongoing volunteering.”