Texarkana, Texas – A student‑led sustainability project at Texas A&M University‑Texarkana reached a major milestone this week with a ribbon‑cutting ceremony for the campus’s first dedicated composting site. The effort, organized by the university’s Eagle Presidential Leadership Scholars program, partnered with campus dining provider Chatwells and the nonprofit Keep Texarkana Beautiful.
Students built the site from the ground up
Over the past academic year, twenty scholars from the program’s inaugural cohort worked together to design and construct the composting area, which sits in a wooded space next to the university’s beach volleyball courts. “Through funding from Keep Texarkana Beautiful, our students in the Eagle Presidential Scholars program have been able to completely build out a site for composting here on campus,” said Kristina Rivas, director of the leadership program.
Sophomore Adele Mouyaga described the experience as leaving a lasting mark on campus. “It’s one thing to do something in the present, and it’s another thing to have something done and everyone else to come after to be able to make this continue,” she said, noting that the project will benefit future generations of students.
How the composting system works
Chatwells collects food waste from the campus cafeteria and, twice a week, students transport the material to the composting site. The organic matter breaks down over several weeks, producing nutrient‑rich compost that will soon be used to grow seasonal crops on nearby community plots. “We will be able to donate fresh vegetables to our on‑campus food pantry,” Rivas added, emphasizing the project’s dual focus on environmental stewardship and hunger relief.
Looking ahead
Starting next semester, the compost produced on site will be applied to local gardens, with the goal of supplying fresh produce to the university’s food pantry and surrounding neighborhoods. Junior Shekinah Perlas expressed hope that the initiative will inspire other students and faculty to expand the program. “For Eagle Lead to be in our first year doing this, I feel like we are already making an impact even though it is only our first year starting this new program,” she said.
The composting site represents a tangible example of how student leadership, community partnerships, and faith‑based stewardship can work together to address environmental and social challenges on a local level. As the university continues to grow its sustainability efforts, the Eagle Presidential Leadership Scholars program plans to involve more students in future projects that benefit both the campus and the broader Texarkana community.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
