Photos courtesy of Jade Truong

Students went to Virginia Tech's center in Critz, the Reynolds Homestead, on July 10 to do a service project. From left are Jennifer Meadows of Narrows High School, Paris Swain of Franklin County High School, Diana Lopez of Martinsville High School, Takesha Payne of E.C. Glass High School, Ariel Callahan of Franklin County High School, Alicia Woody of Martinsville High School and Brian Fulton of Blacksburg High School.

Ryan Collins of Narrows High School makes sure to mix some fun in with the work.

More than 25 students from the Upward Bound Program at Virginia Tech did some heavy outdoors work in a historic cemetery and garden at the Reynolds Homestead in Critz.

The students split in half for two projects during the July 10 workday. One group worked at the historic slave cemetery, which was separate from the Reynolds family cemetery. They cleared off the graves, pulled weeds and removed an old fence. The other group took on the Friendship Garden, also on the grounds of the Reynolds Homestead.

"This place is pretty, but it needs work," said Brandon Vennable of Narrows High School as he took his first look at the garden.

The students pulled weeds, trimmed trees and shrubs and mulched the garden.

The students reunited at the cemetery to put down the mulch walkways that wind through the cemetery. The project was not only filled with hard work but also with many laughs as the students had a good time working together to improve the grounds.

"This is really great. I am so proud of you," Kay Dunkley, the program director, said to all the students.

At the end of the day the students said they went home feeling successful.

"This is great. I feel like I have accomplished something in my life," said Brandon Williams of E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, who said he had never worked with garden equipment before.

Upward Bound does a service project every summer during the on-campus summer program. This year the students helped not only at the Reynolds Homestead but also on the Huckleberry Trail and at the Interfaith Food Pantry in Blacksburg.

Find a video about the project here: www.youtube.com/user/vtoutreachvideo.

-- Submitted by Jennifer Meadows