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.

Leadership in River Stewards by Lyuba Benin, 2023 Cohort

The leadership aspect of River Stewards has become more apparent to me this semester as my cohort and I have been planning our senior project with the Dakota Center. Brainstorming and organizing the project have put things in perspective and validated that mine and my cohort’s time in River Stewards will foster a meaningful relationship with the community of Dayton. How do we work with real community leaders? How can we honestly address the needs of the Dayton community? Ultimately, after some reflection, my working definition of leadership is being able to share your gifts and talents for the good of others, and River Stewards provides the mindset and resources for us to be leaders. I am excited to continue collaborating and working on the project with my cohort and catalyze real change in Dayton. 

A couple of months ago, I also joined the Sustainability Leadership Council, which brings together a variety of clubs on campus advocating for sustainability, such as the Hanley Sustainability Institute, Flyer Enterprises, River Stewards, etc. Although some stews and I physically represent River Stewards in the council, this position has felt like a leadership position to me especially from the behind-the-scenes work. For example, we recently were trying to gain a faculty advisor for the council, and the emails and meetings that were made to achieve that, cultivated a real sense of the effort it takes to be a leader. 

Ultimately, I think what is powerful about River Stewards is that any stew can find their niche related to the river and be an effective leader in a unique way. River Stewards also teaches an important lesson that there is no one way to be a leader, and that the real results of leadership arise from us learning and being inspired from one another, as we do in our cohorts.

How do you see yourself as a leader in the River Stewards program? by Natalie Yersavich, 2023 Cohort

 Leadership and service have always been a big part of my life and even since I was a kid, I have tried to seek out as many opportunities to lead and serve as I can. When I first started at UD, these two ideals were the driving forces that inspired me to get involved on campus and in various groups. I found some opportunities to lead and serve in campus ministry and in my faith, but I wanted more. I wanted to reach a larger population, not just those in my residence hall or those who shared my faith. 

When I first applied for River Stewards, I was drawn to the focus of the group: leadership through service and community engagement. The program is centered around building and developing leadership through serving the Dayton community. I could not have asked for a better opportunity to grow and learn about these skills that I value so highly. 

Now, after being in the program for two years, I have learned more than I thought I ever could about leadership and service. From a young age, I have always understood that leadership comes from service and that a good leader is one who serves, but after going through this program, I understand this to be true on a deeper level. River Stewards has taught me that in order to lead, you have to first listen and serve the people that you are leading. How can you lead people in the right direction if you do not know the obstacles and challenges that they are facing? If you do not take the time to listen and understand the problems, you cannot come up with successful solutions. Leadership ultimately is not about the individual. It is about collaboration in order to achieve a common goal and lift up the group as a whole.

Service Opportunity Reflection by Alison Hardie, 2024 Cohort

    A service opportunity that really stuck with me was collecting prairie seeds with Five Rivers Metroparks. In the fall my mom, sister, and I signed up to collect prairie seeds at Huffman Prairie. Huffman Prairie is a historic landmark where the Wright Brothers flew their planes but also a remnant prairie that serves as a home for many different species. My family and I had been to Huffman Prairie on multiple occasions because it is one of our favorite birding spots. Unfortunately, prairies are becoming increasingly rarer so Huffman attracts many types of breeding songbirds. One of our favorites is the bobolink, a striking black and white bird with a metallic song. We also make sure to visit every summer while the wildflowers are in full bloom. 

    We had gone seed collecting in the past a few years back at another park so we were excited to see that this time it was at Huffman. When we arrived at the park we were greeted by the leader of the activity who gave us a seed bag to tie around our waist, gardening gloves, and a pair of shears. As we walked down the path to the collection spot the leader pointed out and gave some information on all of the different plants in the prairie. Once we arrived at a spot he assigned each person to collect seeds from a different type of flower. I was assigned to the purple coneflower, which happens to be one of my favorites. Then we had to march into the tall brush to find the flowers that were ready. It takes a moment of braveness at first to step into the tall grass, not being able to see what’s under your feet. But you forget about that after the first step. For the coneflowers I was looking for heads that were dried but had not been completely eaten by the birds, they are a favorite snack of the goldfinches. We collected seeds for a few hours before the hot sun started to get to everyone and it was time to head back. On the way back some of the other volunteers spotted a green snake which I unfortunately did not catch a glimpse of. 

    They informed us that the seeds would be sent back to one of the other metroparks where other volunteers would remove the seeds from the flower heads and then they would be planted across the Metroparks in different prairies. This experience really stood out to be as it showed how much work has to be done in many conservation projects. It was especially cool to involved in helping one of my favorite places and getting to know the prairie that much better. I had always known they planted the prairies but I had never thought about how they got the seeds. There are also so many parts to this process that are all done by volunteers so it helped me to see how invested the community is as well and some of the direct impact of my hours.

Describe a service opportunity that stuck with you… by Allison George, 2024 Cohort

As a second year civil and environmental engineering major, I see so much value and importance in introducing young girls to STEM programs. I have spent a few Saturday mornings working with one of my other organizations, the Society of Women Engineers or SWE to bring STEM knowledge and innovation skills to local Girl Scout troops. The programs have varied in content but one thing has remained constant, the girls are absolutely captivated by STEM and you can see the gears turning as they think about what science and engineering really are. 

The programs have been structured age appropriately, as the girls are usually in elementary school, and there have been different difficulties to truly challenge the girls at different school years. Some of my favorite station topics have been building aluminum foil boats for pennies, teaching the basic logic needed for coding, learning about what each kind of engineer actually does, and learning how to build a simple structure.

This opportunity in particular has really stuck with me because on top of getting to see them start brainstorming and working together to problem solve, they begin to see the program leaders– who are all women in STEM– as role models and open up with their questions about why we went into engineering or what we want to do after college. Having young girls leave a program saying to their friends how they thought engineering was so cool or that they think one type of engineering was what they wanted to do when they grow up is so meaningful to me because as a young girl I didn’t even know what engineering was. Giving young girls even just the basic information about engineering is an incredible step in the right direction, and I hope to support more events introducing girls to engineering in the future in hopes that eventually there will be just as many women in engineering as men!