Local Eastern Connecticut State University Student Sarah Bojorquez of Columbia Participated in Community Cleanup in Coventry

2011 Apr 18

Student volunteers from Eastern Connecticut State University gave Coventry a "spring cleaning" on April 9 and received a warm reception from grateful townspeople. Approximately 200 volunteers registered for "Community Day 2011," putting in a 4- to 5-hour workday to clear hiking trails, paint the band shell at Patriots Park, landscape that and several other parks and spruce up other town facilities, including the Nathan Hale Homestead and two properties of the Coventry Historical Society. In all, Eastern students worked on 16 different projects during the day.

Sarah Bojorquez '14 of Columbia was one of the participating students who helped make a difference. Bojorquez is majoring in Undeclared.

"The work the Eastern students did today was amazing," said Coventry Parks and Recreation Director Wendy Rubin. "I'm just thrilled. The work would not have been done if these students hadn't been here. It has changed the face of our town and created pride in our community. I also had an opportunity to get to meet a number of Eastern students. I was very impressed." Colin Doherty and Kristina Scherber, VISTA coordinators in the Center for Community Engagement (CCE), organized the day.

In years past, Eastern has focused the annual spring cleanup in its hometown of Willimantic. "We have students from 164 of Connecticut's 169 towns," explained Eastern's Center for Community Engagement Director Kim Silcox, "and alumni throughout eastern Connecticut and elsewhere. We thought it made sense to share our students' energy and time with other communities as well."

Eastern Connecticut State University is part of the Connecticut State University System (CSUS) and is the state's public liberal arts university. Eastern serves more than 5,000 students each year on its Willimantic campus.