STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State Texans gathered again to serve the city of Stephenville during the university’s 27th annual Round Up, which saw student volunteers serve at 135 job sites around the community.
During the volunteer service day, students were disbursed across Stephenville and Dublin to help community members with yard work, house cleaning, painting, window washing, moving large pieces of furniture and various other projects.
“This student-led event is crucial for both the university and the community because of the connections that are made, the help that students can provide and the incredible lessons that students learn about civic engagement,” said Ericka Key, Assistant Director of Campus Life and Family Engagement. “With students spending most of their time on campus, this one-day event allows for them to look outside of campus life to something bigger, and that new perspective can be life-changing.”
As the largest student-led community service project on campus, Round Up requires a lot of time and many individuals to make it happen. This year’s team of 39 students worked together with the Division of Student Engagement and Success for the past eight months to ensure the day went smoothly.
“The reason that I love Round Up and getting to help put it together is because you clearly get to see the impact that we have on the city of Stephenville,” said Slaton Burns, Tarleton State’s student director of Round Up. “There are so many people we can help who need help, and for one day, we get to be a part of making a difference in their lives.”
Before the event, students sign up to volunteer with their student organization or as individuals. This helps students build their campus community as they work to serve others together.
Taylor Ibeling, an officer in the Tarleton State Pre-Veterinary Medical Association, organized a group of students to volunteer. Though Ibeling is a senior and this was her first time participating in Round Up, she explained she did not want to miss out on this event.
“This was an opportunity for the Pre-Veterinary Medical Association to gain a bigger voice on campus and be a little more involved in the community,” said Ibeling. “Our group will plant flowers and rake leaves — just basic yard work. Even though it seems small, I know it makes a big difference, especially for older members in the community.”
Event organizers go the extra mile to find individuals in the community who are in need of help by making calls, sending out letters and knocking on doors. Students and community members alike come away from the day with stories of impact.
One of the community members who has participated in Round Up each year is Nell Foster, a Tarleton State alumna who worked as a student financial aid counselor at the university for 14 years before retiring in Stephenville.
“I miss the students and being involved with them. Having them here helping me each year makes me remember all the time I spent at the university,” said Foster.
If you would like more information about Round Up and how you can get involved in the future, email roundup@tarleton.edu.
A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.