Every day, Principians are making a positive impact on the world. Students on both campuses learn early that the first steps often begin at home, as Principia College students recently demonstrated during the annual Great River Clean-Up event in Alton. Whether cruising the Mississippi or strolling the city streets, Principians are proving that change can often start with a single piece of trash—or in this case, several tons of it.  

Principia’s part in the beautification efforts of Alton began almost a decade ago when the College connected with local non-profit Pride, Inc.—an organization dedicated to community improvement. The relationship was first forged by Career and Service Learning Manager, Monica (Rooker) Semnacher (US’01, C’05), who worked with the non-profit at the time. “When I was working at Pride, Inc., I saw an opportunity to connect with Principia students. It started with the athletic teams and expanded to the rest of the student body.” 

Now, as a member of the College Career Center, Semnacher is continuing the partnership. "Having Principia listed as one of the participants in the city-wide cleanup is so important,” she says. “The organizers love our students, and the more we’re involved in the community, the more people know about Principia and what we have to offer.” 

In addition to these bi-annual city-wide cleanups, Pride, Inc. also hosts an annual river cleanup, where volunteers take to the waterways and remove trash and other pollutants from the Mississippi. This year, 33 volunteers cruising the river helped collect 3 tons of trash. A week later, over 60 volunteers helped collect another 190 pounds of trash from the streets of Alton at the city-wide cleanup. 

Semnacher says the impact can’t be understated. “We’re not only bettering the community, but we’re keeping trash from entering the waterways and ultimately flowing to the ocean,” she says. “It may seem like a small step, but it’s a ripple effect that’s, on a larger scale, affecting the world.” 

“All the trash we pick up has the potential to end up in countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, or Indonesia, which are top destinations for U.S. trash,” says student volunteer Ronja Bakowsky (C’27). “To me, this work is a way to see how consumerism is affecting even our local communities. I feel like the students who participate really think about the pollution they see. It’s impossible for it not to have an impact on you, and to motivate you to work toward a better world.” 

And while the global byproduct of this selfless work is undeniable, the effects this effort has on the community at large are what most inspires these Principians. “There’s one street in particular that we clean every year, and it’s overwhelming how much trash can get collected,” says Semnacher. “Families live on the street, and they’re always so grateful. They come outside to share their thanks with us while we work. I feel like it boosts their pride because they can leave their house and see a huge transformation of their street.”  

Of the experience as a whole, Semnacher says, “I think it's so crucial for students to feel connected to where they are. I want students to have the gift of getting to know all these incredible people in the nearby community, and of giving back.” She continues, “Every year, I see a shift in the students’ moods. Volunteering can give them purpose and help them connect with new friends. It’s a benefit to the students and to Alton.”