Siloam Springs Community Guide

28 | 2023 Siloam Springs community guide For many students at John Brown University, the Siloam Springs community is a major part of the college experience. e smalltown feel and general friendliness create an atmosphere that, for some, is core to what they are looking for when it comes to planning life aer graduation – especially as some students look to give back to Siloam Springs and the Northwest Arkansas community. Grace Lindquist, a senior communications major at JBU who graduates in May, is one of these students. "I see a lot of support from the businesses around the University of Arkansas, NWACC and JBU," Lindquist said. "Students get discounts and managers offer flexible working hours; you definitely see that a lot in Siloam Springs." Lindquist transferred to JBU from Colorado in 2019. Since then, she has felt a strong connection to the community here. "I think I will be here probably forever," she said. "I really like the area because of the culture and community. ere are a ton of opportunities here as far as businesses go. It's a really exciting place to live and it's safe; I really love it here." Like many others that graduate from JBU, Lindquist is looking forward to volunteering locally as a way to give back to the community. "e thing I really like about this area, as far as volunteering goes, is that Siloam Springs and Springdale just earned volunteer communities of the year for 2021," Lindquist said. "It's an easy place to make a difference and there are lots of different ways to do it. I will always try to be a volunteer in the community. ere are a lot of different cultures represented here. ere are a lot of communities that need to be represented and need to have their voices heard. I will always be really active there in trying to get those voices heard." Lindquist currently is involved with the Ozark Literacy Council in Fayetteville and plans to stay involved for the foreseeable future. In addition, she hopes to start some trail cleanups in Siloam Springs and Fayetteville. Sophie Mumba, who graduated from JBU in December with a degree in intercultural studies, is another JBU grad looking to give back. "Right now I'm at the Canopy Refugee Resettlement Center," Mumba said. "I've always been passionate about refugees, being a refugee myself. It's something I've always wanted to do, and I admittedly didn't expect to be doing it in Arkansas." She continues, saying, "At the end of my last semester is when I connected with Canopy and through them, I was able to start working as a volunteer. I've always admired Canopy and how they support refugees." Mumba, who came to Siloam Springs from Dallas, was surprised at how tight-knit the community was. "I've never seen an agency do that much, and it was eye-opening for me," Mumba said. "I wanted to see what that looked like. ere were some big agencies in Dallas, but none that operated like this. Working with volunteers and seeing where their heart is just shows how strong this community is and how dedicated they are to improving it." Giving back to the community through volunteering is no new feat, and college students have notoriously shown out for their college towns. e U.S. Department of Education reports that "approximately 30.2 percent of college students volunteered, exceeding the volunteer rate for the general adult population of 28.8 percent." Not only are those numbers trending upward, but studies suggest that those levels are maintained aer graduation. Some students feel a sort of debt for the outpouring of support they receive from the community during their schooling. Others just simply want to help out. "I keep asking myself what I can do for Northwest Arkansas before I leave," Mumba said. "I think it's good to give back to your community when you can." John Brown students look to give back | By Spencer Bailey Reprinted from a previous edition of the Siloam Springs Herald-Leader

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