Local students, teachers and residents are celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by serving their community.
UC San Diego students, staff, faculty and alumni joined Oneonta Elementary School students, parents and teachers Sunday to volunteer at the Imperial Beach elementary school.
Volunteers fixed up the school gardens, re-painted some of the walls around campus, helped teachers re-level classroom libraries and more as part of the day of service.
The hope is that the community service will give students leadership skills for the future, volunteers said.
"It's definitely very inspirational to be here and also serve as an example to these students," said UCSD student Daniel Juarez. "Hopefully they seem themselves in us and they hopefully see that they, too, can accomplish and get to a higher education."
Officials at Oneonta Elementary School said the partnership has been wonderful for the campus.
"I know that this partnership with UCSD has been very critical in terms of beautifying our campus," said Marla Fernandez, the principal at the school.
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The students are thankful, as well, for the more than 300 people who came out to help Sunday morning.
"They all came here super early. They’re contributing their time to help us. That’s generous," said Gavin Fishcher, a student.
