By: Katie Quick

Martin Luther King Jr. has been and will remain to be a heroic and influential figure in our country. He preached equality for everyone, no matter what race, ethnicity, class, or any other social, political, or economic status. Every year, the PSU Student Leaders for Services helps to coordinate the MLK Day of Service, when when about 1,000 college students from across the metro area gather to better our city in some form of service in memory of Dr. King.

This year, the theme was education, and we were assembled at David Douglas High School in outer NE Portland. From there, we met the other students from other colleges and universities and were assigned projects. My group was assigned to clean Parkrose High School, an ethnically diverse, heavily low-income school. We cleaned their gym and helped with other janitorial services to make the learning environment cleaner and encourage the students to have more respect for their school. 

It was a rewarding experience to help a community in need of a little boost. I highly recommend to all PSU students to get involved in even one small volunteering event, whether that be packaging at the Oregon Food Bank, delivering food through Meals on Wheels, or participating in beautification efforts around the city. Even a couple of hours can make all the difference.