Walla Walla’s three colleges joined forces this past Sunday, Apr. 13, to engage in 19 community service projects, which partnered with local organizations. Volunteers gathered from Whitman College, Walla Walla University, and Walla Walla Community College, with projects ranging from horse grooming to prom decorating to trail restoration. The variety of projects offered allowed students to find a project that suited their interests, while offering them a way to give back to the community around them. 

Students were able to mingle with other volunteers in their project groups at check-in beforehand while enjoying free burritos from Taquería mi Pueblito. In talking to a few of the students involved, it was clear that many had similar interests in connecting with the community that they spend their college years living in. Natalie Price, a senior at Whitman College, volunteered as part of a cemetery cleanup and expanded on this sentiment.

“I think it’s important to engage with people outside of the Whitman bubble, especially at a small school, you talk to the same people every day. This gives you a chance to live in Walla Walla instead of just going to school there,” Price said.

Abby Justice, a first-year nursing student at Walla Walla University, explained how her group of friends got involved in this project through advertising at their school.

“I think it’s really good, since there’s so many colleges in the area, that one, they’re all getting together to volunteer at something and two for the community outreach, because we are here, and we’re not here for the whole year. It’s kind of good to give back to where we’re at,” Justice said.

The opportunity to take part in such a large-scale community event is one that many students took advantage of, as students continue to give back to the community they are part of. 

Lily Davis, a first-year culinary arts student at Walla Walla Community College, explained how her school led her to contribute to the project. Davis chose to volunteer to help clean the sculptures downtown that she passes every day. 

“I think bringing your community together is really important. Having a sense of community, having a sense of bond, and I think that when you invest yourself into your community, and you invest yourself into bettering your community, it makes you really care about those people more,” Davis said. 

Creating this stronger community was a sentiment that many of the pre-event speakers from all the institutions involved shared in their speeches. The goal of the event was to bridge gaps between the college and to connect volunteers with organizations to create a stronger sense of community. 

“I think it’s just a nice way to give back,” Price said.

Davis elaborated more on the importance of community engagement, especially in the country’s current political climate. 

“I think right now in our political climate, there’s a lot of uncertainty, and a lot of separation between people. I think what we need more than anything is to come together as a community and to really bond together and think, okay, maybe we don’t like this thing, we don’t like this thing, but what are the things we do care about, and what are the things we can all agree upon?”, Davis said. “I think cleaning up your community and wanting to do things that are better for everyone is one of those things. So I’m always happy to be involved with that.”

The Tri-College community day’s emphasis on forming connections provided another outlet for students to interact with each other and the larger Walla Walla community and work together to improve places that they interact with frequently.