Mira Singhal, a freshman biology major at George Washington University, sat in a lecture hall at the Edward C. Mazique Parent-Child Center on Saturday afternoon, carefully sketching the outline of a tree. Singhal’s drawing, when finished, will be used by Mazique’s new students as a family tree to hang photos of their family members.
“I’m really looking forward to the children seeing it when they come back, especially because a family tree is a very personal thing and I hope it will give the classroom a more special and cozy atmosphere,” Singhal said.

Singhal was one of 2,000 GW students, staff and faculty who volunteered their time to local organizations Saturday as part of the 16th Annual Convocation and Welcome Day of Service. They also included President Ellen M. Granberg, Dean of Students and Vice Provost for Student Affairs Colette Coleman and Jay Goff, Vice Provost for Enrollment and Student Success.

This year, students helped at 55 sites, including schools in the Washington area, such as Malcolm X Elementary School and Kramer Middle School in the southeast, and the Columbia Heights Education Campus in the northwest, to prepare them for the start of the school year. The various projects were coordinated by the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service.

Days of Service have been an important part of GW’s tradition since 1995, when the university observed the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday as an opportunity to give back to the community through service projects. In 2009, GW established a second annual Day of Service in September after President Barack Obama issued an executive order declaring September 11th Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance.

In 2010, GW officially designated the day as Freshman Day of Service, encouraging all first-year students to volunteer with local organizations. This year, the university not only focused on first responders, but also got involved alongside First Lady Michelle Obama. She challenged students to complete 100,000 hours of community service during the 2009-10 academic year, and in return, she gave a speech at GW’s 2010 graduation.

In 2019, the day was renamed “Welcome Day of Service” and the tradition continued even during the COVID pandemic with adjustments to ensure social distancing guidelines were followed to ensure the health and safety of students.

The GW students serving at Mazique divide their duties among individual classrooms and spend the afternoon cleaning, organizing toys and books, gardening, and hanging signs on the walls to brighten up the rooms for the newly arriving children.

Quinn Dolan, a first-year environmental science student, was one of the volunteers helping prepare a classroom for the new school year. She wiped down toys, cleaned the cubbies and wrote name tags for the new children who would be using the classroom.

“It’s a good feeling to know that everything is ready for students when they return to their classrooms, so I’m really glad we can help with that,” Dolan said.

She appreciated that the Day of Service is a chance for first-year students to learn more about DC neighborhoods through volunteer work and also to meet other GW students they don’t see regularly.

Joanna Destil, a final year business student, was one of Mazique’s site managers and has been involved with Day of Service since her freshman year.

“It’s really special to be able to give back to the community and make others happy,” Destil said. “It’s also a great opportunity to get to know other GW students. Since many of the volunteers are freshmen, it’s a great way for them to ask older students for advice about the first week of classes or about what it’s like to be a student at GW.”

She said she is proud that GW students consistently dedicate their time to engaging with the community through community service.

“Giving back is important and I’m happy to see so many others from GW here. Everyone is having a great time, making new friends and helping the community at the same time,” Destil said. “It’s really a way to build yourself up while encouraging others.”

Students also participated in service projects in the university’s student center. In Room 310, GW Votes held a crash course for freshmen on how to vote during the November election cycle. They even had them write an action plan on a postcard and encouraged them to keep it close when the time comes for them to vote.

Their service included writing personalized, nonpartisan letters to prospective voters in swing states to urge them to take action. Each table was dedicated to a state, and the students and Vice Provost Goff wrote 100 handwritten notes per table explaining why it was important for people to vote on Election Day. The letters were addressed to prospective voters in communities that have historically been underrepresented in the election.

“We are here today to help fill that gap,” said Vidya Muthupillai, senior assistant of the GW election program.

At Malcolm X Elementary School, the walls were freshly painted a soft vanilla yellow for the start of classes on Monday, the lime green tiles were polished to a high shine, and the floors were polished to reflect sunlight streaming through the windows. About 40 GW students made the environment more inviting for young children by using their creative skills to design colorful murals and posters for hallways and bulletin boards.

“Just think about it. Two-, three- and four-year-olds are running around with their tiny feet,” says Jessica Rich, a GW site manager who works at Malcolm X as a team leader in the GW Jumpstart program. “It’s a huge building to walk into. These projects are especially important because they’ve never been here before.”

Rich, a third-year student studying social work and social justice, watched as freshmen Elizabeth McGillen and Brianna Graham, an environmental science student, painted calligraphic figures playing instruments for a mural outside the school’s music room.

“I’m so happy with what we’re doing now,” Graham said. “Some people go out into the woods to pull up honeysuckle. It’s one of the more relaxing projects.”

McGillen, an international relations student who hopes to work with Malcolm X as part of Jumpstart, added that volunteering is fulfilling because “you’re making your own contribution.”

For many students, this wasn’t their first time, as community service is required in high schools across the country. Sabrina Zeoli paused as she sketched a letter above an archway and said that at her Boston public school, she appreciated having volunteers come to the school. Now, she said, “giving back as a college student, like people have given to me, heals my inner child.”

Link Rodriguez, a freshman political science and international relations major, reflected on how difficult it will be for the young children to move to an unfamiliar place in a new school. “It’s going to be hard on them and I’m glad to be able to help the staff this school year,” Link said.

He cut out colorful oval shapes to make balloons for Cameron Kopczynski’s poster based on the movie UP.

“I thought it would be nice for the kids,” said Kopczynski, who is studying philosophy. “It feels good to help the community, even if it’s just in a small way like this.”

Lydia Ryan, a student in the Human Services and Social Justice department, made a welcome sign and said it was “the easiest way to make a place a home for GW students,” “to get involved in the community, to introduce us to life as DC residents, and to make us feel connected to the community.”

GW Today photographers William Atkins, Lily Speredelozzi and BL Wilson captured images of the volunteers at three of the work sites: