As I sat in the Emmett O’Brien Technical High School library recently, listening to students from the Valley’s six high schools outline their community service projects, I tried to think back to my community service in high school.
Only one project came to mind: I helped organize a clothing drive at my church in my sophomore year.
But these students outlined dozens of projects they completed in the just past month.
At each of the Valley high schools, they’ve hosted fundraisers and events like blood drives, pep rallies, and Zumba marathons.
If you look at just one school, the list is impressive.
But the combined efforts of these students creates an even more powerful force. It made me wish I had done more during my high school years, when I spent most of my time outside of school working odd retail jobs.
Pat Tarasovic, the director of the volunteer center for the Valley United Way, said the high school volunteer council formed in 1995.
The volunteer council includes high school students in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton, and Emmett O’Brien Technical High School. Click here to see the group’s website. The Valley United Way is the only United Way with the high school volunteer council, Tarasovic said.
The council takes the individual projects hosted by high school students throughout the Valley and gives them broader perspective, support, and impact.
“You’re all colleagues together,” Tarasovic told the students during the monthly Volunteer Council meeting on Feb. 27.
The group of 24 students from the six high schools is impressive.
They have raised thousands of dollars for community causes such as cancer research, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, veterans causes, and the Spooner House, the regional homeless shelter and food bank.
The students have also raised money for programs at their schools, such as prom events, technical skills competitions, and clubs like the marching band and the robotics club.
“You all take for granted what you do for your high schools,” Tarasovic said. “It’s remarkable the impact you have on a day-to-day.”
The council is successful for several reasons.
First, it serves as a networking opportunity for the students to get ideas from each other and use in their individual schools.
“We get so many ideas from the other schools,” said Shelton High School student council adviser Lorena Snell. “That’s the biggest help.”
And second, the students work together on group projects for Valley-wide causes. This school year, the entire council collected food and helped out at the Harvest House food drive. Smaller groups within the council are currently planning other service projects. The students work with each other — not just with other students from their schools.
“I never cease to be amazed sitting here listening,” Tarasovic said. “It’s never been competitive. It’s always been sharing.”
The students said they like working on the projects together. It gives them a sense of pride and excitement, and exposes them to issues in the community.
Jared A. Schulman, a senior at Oxford High School, said he was impressed by time spent volunteering at the Spooner House, serving meals as part of an Eagle Scout project, and a National Honor Society project.
He and four other students from the council have planned a group service project called “Food For Thought” where they will serve a meal to residents at the Spooner House. He said the project will offer a direct connection with the community they don’t often get from other service projects.
“You get these can collections, put things in a box and send them to a land far away, and never see them again,” Schulman said. “This is face to face contact.”
Another group of students in the council had a similar plan for their group service project.
“It’s a good way to give back to the community,” Tyler Tice, a junior at Shelton High School, said. “They’ve been struggling this year with the amount of food they take in.”
The following students represent their schools on the volunteer council this year:
Krystin Andrade, Emmett O’Brien junior
Kyle Alicandro, Ansonia High School senior
Riem Awad, Derby High School junior
Christina Buswell, Oxford High School junior
Mike Conlan, Seymour High School junior
Stephanie Dytko, Derby High School senior
Cara Kiley, Ansonia High School junior
Ray Kreiger, Derby High School senior
Lexcii Miller, Emmett O’Brien senior
Monica Mordowanec, Seymour High School junior
Dan Mott, Oxford High School junior
Zachary Nichols, Emmett O’Brien junior
Justin Olenoski, Derby High School junior
Hayley Oliveira, Emmett O’Brien senior
Heidi Schneider, Ansonia High School senior
Jared A. Schulman, Oxford High School senior
Ola Szczesna, Shelton High School junior
Anthony Tartaglia, Shelton High School senior
Michael Tartaglia, Shelton High School senior
Tyler Tice, Shelton High School junior