Early Saturday morning, four Pierce students volunteered to help Farm Club Manager Jordan Stivers clean stables at the Equestrian Center, remove manure from the goat pens and sweep across the farm.
Stivers said the club hosts these volunteer cleanups to show appreciation for farm staff helping the club and for students to get free experience with animals.
“We work with the farm staff to organize these cleanups as a way to give back and help keep the farm extra clean and beautiful,” Stivers said.
The four students are enrolled in different programs and had different reasons for volunteering.
For psychology Major Bailey Dillon, she decided to join because she loves animals.
“I’m very passionate about helping out my own community,” Dillon said. “It’s a great way to get volunteer work in.”
Brandon Molina, who is enrolled in the GED program, said he recognized the importance of volunteering.
“We need to make sure the animals are taken care of and well fed,” Molina said.
While Pierce offers a wide variety of programs of study for students–such as automotive tech, biochemistry, performance arts, communication and marine biology, it began as a crop cultivation and animal husbandry school in 1947.
Stivers said it’s important for Pierce to remain tethered to its roots.
“We don’t have a lot of local options, especially community colleges who make it affordable for everybody, to learn about these kinds of things,” Stivers said.
Automotive tech student Marcus Haro and undecided major Joshua Gallegos also volunteered.
Myraneli Fabian contributed to this story.
