Students leave comfort zones to serve East St. Louis residents

Published: July 11, 2022

Members of the First Generation Experience First team are, from left, Emily Reinneck,
Lakari Benjamin, Haven Robertson, Jacob Bandixen, and Jennifer De Leon De Leon.

For five students on a Greenville University Experience First team, stepping out of their comfort zones was the first hurdle they had to overcome before they could effectively help residents of East St. Louis.

This spring, the group partnered with First Generation, a non-profit organization from East St. Louis founded by Paris Grimmett ’16 that works to empower young people from the area through community outreach, business education, and financial literacy. Specifically, the GU students raised funds for the GRIT Business Academy, a boot camp that will be offered this summer to help residents learn the principles of operating a successful business. (The word GRIT in the academy's name stands for Guts, Resilience, Initiative and Tenacity.)

But first, the students had to gain a level of comfort with the community before they could help it.

Activities establish trust with residents

“I hadn’t been there before,” said Jennifer De Leon De Leon, acriminaljustice major, “but I’d heard that it was very crime-ridden and dangerous. I tried to have an open mind as we visited the community and met the people.”

The group’s first activity was to raise money for First Generation by approaching people on the streets of East St. Louis.

“It was interesting to observe people’s reactions to us,” noted Lakari Benjamin, a computer and information systems major. “They were skeptical at first, but when they learned that we were raising money for the business academy, many gave generously.”

To further build bridges with the East St. Louis community, the students held a community cleanup day there.

“We picked up trash along the streets,” said Jacob Bandixen, a theology major. “That was definitely a different experience than I’d had before, but the people of East St. Louis were so appreciative of what we were doing. Some even joined us in picking up trash or allowed us to put the trash in their containers.”

Back on campus, the group’s final activity was sponsoring a trivia night to support the business academy. Several Greenville and Bond County businesses donated prizes for the event.

Valuable lessons learned

“Through this Experience First project, we learned to tackle things with an open mind – even if we were uncomfortable in the beginning,” said Haven Robertson, an exercise science major. “Overcoming those fears and dispelling those stereotypes allowed us to help the people of East St. Louis. I wasn’t sure what to expect in the beginning, but by experiencing East St. Louis first-hand, I gained a fuller picture of the community.”

Emily Reinneck, a digital media major, also grew from her involvement. “In the beginning, we were doing this for a grade, but now I want to do more things like this to benefit others,” she said. “It made me consider what my intentions are and where my heart is. I now find myself thinking, ‘Here I am, Lord, send me.’”

Coach for this Experience First team was GU Resident Director CJ Falls.