Megan Bell is accustomed to having a rake in her hands and leaves stuck to her gloves during Green and Gold Give Back.
The 2022 edition of Arkansas Tech University’s largest annual day of service was a new experience for Bell, who completed her studies at ATU earlier this year and organized this year’s Green and Gold Give Back in her new staff role as coordinator of civic and community engagement and leadership development in the ATU Department of Campus Life.
“It gives you a new perspective on how many students participate and are willing to help out in the community,” said Bell, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism in 2019 and a Master of Arts degree in multi-media journalism in 2022, both from ATU. “We had a huge turnout, and hearing the feedback from those who received help from the students is very impactful. It’s really nice to know how much those homeowners enjoy seeing the students get up really early to get their service hours because they want to, not because they have to.”
Green and Gold Give Back was established in 2013. This year, 134 ATU students raked leaves and performed other small-scale maintenance projects at 26 local homes and Lake Dardanelle State Park.
“I hope the students understand how much they can do and that by giving of their time and effort they can change other people’s lives,” said Bell. “Going into the community and giving a couple of hours every month or every other week can make a huge impact.”
Bell expressed appreciation to colleagues in the ATU Department of Campus Life such as Chelsea Neal, Rachel Broussard and Meighan Burke as well as graduate assistants Mackenzie Addis, Natasha Golden and Lora Brown for the roles they played in making Green and Gold Give Back 2022 possible. She is also grateful to the ATU students who picked up bags of leaves at the end of the project, including Logan Gilsinger, John Hiland and Breckyn Ballard.
Learn more about the ATU Department of Campus Life at www.atu.edu/campuslife.
