Students Visit Rochester Schools for Color the Roc

For the final two Saturdays in March, St. John Fisher College students volunteered their time to the annual Color the Roc event, organized by the community service club, Students Who Advocate Volunteering (SWAV). SWAV strives to provide Fisher students with opportunities to engage with service throughout the school year.

This event allows Fisher students to connect with the greater Rochester community in a meaningful way through various beautifying projects. The group completed paint projects on school walls, painted murals in the gyms, painted quotes, cleaned, and helped to organize the schools.

SWAV dedicates significant time to plan this annual event. First, the club reached out to city schools to inquire about potential projects and areas of need. Then, club leaders met with the school administrators to plan projects. Over a dozen Fisher students divided and conquered projects at the two schools. 

Volunteers at Theodore Roosevelt painted various growth mindset and positive quotes around the entire school. At Integrated Arts, volunteers touched up worn railings and classroom walls.

SWAV coordinator Emmy Siminski ’20 has appreciated carrying on this event that started in the early 2000s. “We love being able to brighten up the school for students and making the environment around them a happy place," she said.

This article was written by Caroline Seaberg. A senior majoring in media and communication with a minors in human resources, psychology and Spanish, Seaberg is an executive intern with the College’s Office of Marketing and Communications.