Caroline Roberts, Staff Writer

Photo Courtesy of Sherrelle Lewis

The school year is almost halfway done, and as most students scramble to study for semester exams, one group of 32 seniors is working hard to provide necessities to needy families in the community.

Project 10, which started out small in the EAST program is made up of three “acts.” The first act, the coat drive, just wrapped up with 54 coats donated. Next is the makeup drive, or Act 2, a project where unused makeup will be donated to domestically abused women, and, later in the year, members of Project 10 will volunteer at the Arkansas Rice Depot.

Helping others gives other seniors a good feeling about volunteering.

“Working for Project 10 is great. I’m really shocked of the outcome,” Sherrelle said. “This project was formed from an idea I had during the summer. I never thought that it would become such a great way for a senior to give back to Arkansas. Project 10 is like my child, and I am just a proud parent.”

Senior and Project 10 secretary Alissa Singleton also get a great feeling helping out.  “It means a lot to me,” Alissa said. “It is my senior year and I want to leave a lasting impression so future years can go above and beyond what [Project 10] has done.”

Some of the working members of Project 10 just like to volunteer.

“I really like to give back and help by doing community service projects,” senior Dominic Heien said. “I want to do projects like this before I graduate.”

Seniors are not the only people taking part in Project 10 — faculty members are participating as well.

“On top of the many hugs Mrs. [Nancy] Rousseau gives, I am proud to say that the teachers and other faculty have been some of our biggest supporters,” Sherrelle said. “Teachers supply us with meeting rooms; security guards brought coats and helped transport them to the drop box; janitors have supplied boxes to put the coats in and have helped with anything they can.”

As the school year for seniors comes to an end in May, many service projects will have been conducted to help others.

“Some may say it takes a village to raise a child,” Sherrelle said, “but I think it can take one school to influence the world.”