Water Leadership by Kelsey Saylor, 2023 Cohort

Ever since I was a little girl, the water is something that has always inspired me. My entire life has revolved around various bodies of water that have shaped who I am today. When I was young, my family would go to Topsail Island, NC and my cousins and I spent hours of our lives exploring the shores of the Atlantic. As I got older my family spent most of our time around lake Pymatuning in western Pennsylvania. My sister and I spent more time in the water than out, completely convinced we were mermaids. The water has become an integral part of my most treasured memories.

As I have grown older, I have also come to value leadership and the hard work and dedication needed to become a person worth following. Currently, I am a member of Army ROTC Battalion on campus and will be serving as the fall semester Battalion Commander. With this role comes a lot of responsibility, loyalty, diligence, and honesty. These four traits are ones that I have come to value when learning and exploring how to be an effective leader. 

When I look at my experience on the water -- and the future leader I want myself to be -- I see many correlations between the two. The predictability and constancy of water has taught me that these traits – among others -- are necessary in a leader. Water has existed for billions of years, and we always trust that it will remain long after we are gone. That irreplaceable trust in water is what a leader hopes to inspire in those around them. In my future career, I want my soldiers to know that I have their back and that I will be as constant as water in my decision-making. 

Within my experience as a River Steward at the University of Dayton I have learned a lot about myself, my cohort, and the water that shapes us. As a leader it is important to find things that bind a group together. Water is a perfect example of something that has the capability to bind and create deep and unyielding bonds. Everyone has a connection to the water; it is up the to leader to explore and expand upon them. The friendships I have created through River Stewards have strengthened my leadership ability ten-fold and I would not be who I am today without the organization.

Water and Leadership by Emma Allington, 2023 Cohort

 My experience with the Rivers Institute and water has helped me to bring more of myself to the table in roles of leadership. The most recent module of the Environmental Justice Academy (EJA) serves as an excellent example of this. Katie, another Stew, and I have assisted the steering team by planning and facilitating high-energy icebreakers to open the second day of the monthly modules.

This week’s activity was a Mad Libs about the academy, as the theme of the module was reflection. If you are not familiar with this game, basically you are given a list of parts of speech (ie noun, adjective, number) that you fill in without seeing the context, and then you insert them into a story. One of the participants asked me to explain what an interjection was, so, obviously, I started singing the song from Schoolhouse Rock and then gave some examples. As I walked back to the front of the room Katie jokingly said something around the lines of: “Are you sure you’re not an elementary school teacher?” referencing my high energy level and exaggerated body language.

Just so everyone knows, I am not an education major of any sort; I am, in fact, majoring in civil and environmental engineering. This technical side of my brain has defined my leadership style thus far (the group-chat-making, Google-Drive-loving, meeting-minutes-taking type), and I feel weird deviating from this box. As Leslie always reminds us Stews, I am trying to bring my full self to the table instead of compartmentalizing into a myriad of “hats,” but this has involved a lot of unlearning, mostly based on what I think is appropriate (the meticulous, note-taking Emma) and inappropriate (the playful, singing Emma) for important spaces like the Environmental Justice Academy. This dichotomy is obviously not true, as both the EJA participants and steering team give us glowing reports of how much they enjoy our hair-brained icebreakers. All of this to say: I am trying to take Leslie’s words to heart and bring myself (in all my meeting-minutes-loving, preschool-vibing glory) to the table.

I am feeling very reflective right now, so here is a poem reminiscent of my eighth-grade English class with Mrs. Marks:

Water is water

Even if it boils,

Like the stuff for my tea

While I burn midnight oil.

Water is water

Even if it freezes,

Although cold temperature

Often gives me the sneezes

Water is water

Even if it is glassy,

Suggesting a stroll 

Or a day full of relaxing.

Seeing the Fitz Center Principles in Action by Katie Dawson, 2023 Cohort

 The initial River Stewards orientation exposed me to the Fitz Center principles. These principles

are a framework that guide leaders as they navigate through the community. The principles are as

follows: 

 Community assets: Communities meet needs and solve problems with their gifts,

strengths, and assets.

 Social capital: Trustful relationships are necessary for community building and

strengthening.

 Constructive public conversations: Balanced inquiry and advocacy is critical in all

dialogue.

 Adaptive capacity: Change comes from learning together.

 Widely shared vision: A collective community vision is more powerful than any

individual vision.

Reading those principles on paper or hearing them verbatim doesn’t amount to the intentionality

of each principle and how it directly correlates to the work of a servant leader. As I’ve been

involved through the River stewards program, I’ve heard from community partners about their

work to revitalize Dayton. It’s evident that the principles guide leaders throughout the

community despite being unaffiliated with the Fitz Center. As the semester is coming to an end,

I’ve reflected on times throughout minicourses where the principles came to life.

The principle of locating community assets was apparent as Hope Taft from the Little Miami

Watershed Network discussed our local rivers and how they attribute to our sense of belonging

in the community and benefiting our local economy through recreation. Her network ensures this

asset is maintained by cleaning the Little Miami river and advocating for its health.

The importance of social capital is evident through the 2022 cohort’s senior capstone project.

Their installation of the little free library and the drinking fountain proposal in neighborhood

parks was guided by community conversation and ensuring trust between stakeholders.

The ReImagining Symposium reflected the principle of constructive public conversations.

Community leaders were able to highlight their proposed projects in Dayton and initiate

feedback and conversations about the future of our community and what it ideally looks like.

I personally was impacted by the conversation between the River Stewards, the Sierra Club, and

Guy Jones as our discussion reflected adaptive capacity. Learning from each other about the

power of language and local advocacy of the river requires us to step out of our comfort zone and

reflect on habits to decipher whether they attribute to the common good.

It was evident through the City of Dayton’s Meg Maloney (River Steward alum) and

neighborhood advocate, Jerry Bolwing III, how valuable a widely shared vision is throughout

community work. Meg and Jerry collaborate to advocate for the superfund sites in Dayton to

ensure health and safety amongst the residents that live in those neighborhoods. Their shared

vision despite various backgrounds attributes to the success of the project.

By reflecting on these principles in action, it’s evident how intentional and significant they are.

As the 2023 cohort is navigating through the logistics stage of their project with the Dakota

Center, we must refer to the principles to ensure we are modeling the Fitz Center values and

leadership that we’ve seen throughout the Dayton community thus far.

Learning About Dayton and Myself Through River Stewards by Lily Pestorius, 2024 Cohort

  As a first year student at UD I had no knowledge or connection to the City of Dayton. I did not know of any opportunities to learn and participate in service hours in the city or even where to start. In the past year, I have learned more about the City of Dayton than I have about my own hometown that I lived in for 18 years. I have more connections through River Stewards that have allowed me to learn so much more about service opportunities out in nature. I would have never learned about the Aquifer or the Great Miami Watershed if I had not joined River Stewards. I have always enjoyed nature. Being able to learn and volunteer my time for service projects has been a highlight of my time here at UD. I have always felt connected to nature and have always wanted to help the environment. As I have become more independent while attending UD, I have also been able to become more sustainable. Sustainability is such an important part of my life. So being more connected to the Dayton community and being able to learn about the sustainable efforts the city is making has been so amazing. I have been able to see that I do not need to always make a huge impact, it is just as important to make a small impact. River Steward’s service hours have allowed me to find opportunities to serve outdoors. I also would have never learned about the difference between “serving” and “volunteering”. Because it really is a mindset that you are not just “helping” the community, you are serving them. It is so important to understand the community you are interacting with so that you can make an impact on what the community is trying to accomplish. It has been amazing to help remove Honeysuckle and learn all about the importance of native plants. I have even helped a service group in my hometown to clear Honeysuckle. River Stewards has given me the most important lesson that I need to thrive where I live, which is how to have an active role in my community. The more involved in my community I become, the prouder I am to be a student at the University of Dayton. 

Lots of River Love.

Dayton's Rivers by Grace Jackson, 2023 Cohort

My favorite thing about the rivers in Dayton…sorry, but I can’t just pick one. I would say the first thing that comes to mind is that the rivers recharge our aquifer. This is extremely important for our access to freshwater for drinking, cooking, and for life. I have been studying at Chaminade University on O'ahu this semester, and let me tell you, Ohio is blessed to have such great access to freshwater. You see, the development of canals and buildings has destroyed O'ahu’s wetlands, and freshwater springs have been plugged up. Their aquifer recharges a lot less than it used to. There is also the issue of military occupation, causing contamination of the groundwater. 

I just wanted to get you all thinking about what it means to have the rivers we have. Besides the fact they help to provide access to drinking water, my second favorite thing about our rivers is how easy it is to access them. I run the bike path near the Great Miami fairly often. (I used to run it a lot more often when I was on Chaminade Juliennes Women’s cross country team! It was our Thursday loop). I also love meeting friends at Riverscape metropark, especially when there are festivals, like the Hispanic fest or the Celtic fest. Our rivers are so healthy and full of life, with most obtaining “good” or “excellent” ratings according to the EPA. After kayaking down a few of our rivers and streams, I can confirm that I have seen a lot of fish, turtles, and healthy oxygenation. Of course, we can always improve,  but all in all, I would say that we should be proud of our rivers, and continue to protect them.

A picture of my lab rinsing off after working in a local fish pond. There used to be many freshwater springs out in the nearshore, and there are old pictures of this place depicting horses drinking from what looks like the sea (really, the horses just found the springs!) I will create a blog post on my personal website near the end of the semester all about my experiences on the island. Keep tuned in!

Lessons Learned by Elizabeth Vear, 2023 Cohort

I can easily say that the most important thing I have learned is from those around me. Before I even attended UD, I heard of Rivers Institute on a tour and was immediately eager to get involved with it once I committed. I interviewed, and got accepted in the program in early 2020, but as we all know, Covid disrupted this. My cohort got welcomed into River Stewards during quarantine in April of 2020. I was so excited to work with my cohort for the next three years but had no clue of what that would entail when a pandemic was dominating our lives. Our first semester and second semester of sophomore year was solely on zoom. At the time, I struggled to find my sense of belonging in this cohort, as most of us struggled to feel any depth in relationships built over zoom. At the end of my sophomore year, I felt defeated in the sense I had not been able to see any of these people in person, but hopeful for the next year. Finally, as we rolled into junior year, we had finally reached a stage where we were able to meet in person, and it was like starting all over again. Here we were, going into our second year of being a cohort, and yet it felt like our orientation was our first time truly meeting.

This year and semester have been a foundational moment of strengthening relationships within the cohort. It is impossible to ignore how Covid impacted our beginning, but I believe we as a cohort grew closer from it and learned so much from each other. I look around and know that I have formed a relationship with each person in my cohort. Which may not seem like a momentous feat, but knowing the journey we have been on, it truly is. Shifting from zoom strangers to a strong cohort was a dramatic shift, but it was necessary for the work that we do. Continuously learning about the Stews around me continues to amaze me, as we are each so unique and bring such different perspectives to the table. As I continue to learn about the people in this program, I am that much more confident in our abilities and dedication to our projects. One of the most beneficial ways to learn is from those around you, and I have learned so much from the people in Rivers Institute. Rivers Institute is not what it is without the strength of relationships within each cohort, and I can happily say each person in it has taught me so much. 

The Truth in Building Community by Sarah Yaroma, 2023 Cohort

 From the moment that I walked onto UD’s campus back in 2019, my tour guide brought

to my attention that for the next four years I would hear one word repeatedly, and that word is

community. Now after living at UD for the past three years, I have been able to explicitly see

the community that has been built and partake in community building through engaging in

parents weekend activities, for example, and seeing how many people come together to

celebrate the gift that we have of being a Flyer. This idea of community has been instilled in us

as Flyers since day one and has been something that I have continued to learn about and

discuss in length for the work that I do as a River Steward.

One of the most memorable meetings that we have had this semester was our

conversation with the Sierra Club, learning about their background as well as their ambitions to

continue building community and promote the restoration of the natural environment. In order

to create a shift in the mentality of millions of people worldwide about the environment and

how it is being cared for, we need to spread the word, and it starts with us. By doing this, the

message will spark passion in like-minded people to where they will come together, forming a

community, for this common cause to find solutions. We see this in the media as different

movements are portrayed, such as Black Lives Matter, that there is power in community; thus,

we have the power as a whole to take charge and redirect the narrative.

There is truth in building community even though it goes against the individualistic

centered culture that our society promotes. It is easy to force ourselves to fit the mold that

society has put into place for us. We need to remember to go back to the basics of simply

listening to ourselves and remember the reason why we all do not act, think, nor look the same

as our neighbor. We were all created to be different and bring different levels of diversity and

ideas into the world and into various situations. Therefore, if there is one thing that we can do

for ourselves and for the world it would be to show up authentically. I believe that concept of

authenticity has to be the most important lesson that I have learned this semester, due to the

fact that is it something most people are not reminded of and tend to forget. Also because of its

applicability to the rest of our lives as the communities we insert ourselves into change.

Regardless of where we end up in the future, we are forever River Stewards, thus we cannot

forget to be authentic, lifelong learners, builders of community, and a pursuer of interests,

which is what this program has taught me these past three years.