EVERYDAY HERO

Even as a Mt. Pleasant High School senior, Payton Lovan is finding ways to give back to the community.

Having started halfway through his freshman year, Lovan is currently the longest-serving member of the recycling team. He intends to participate with the club through the end of his high school career.

Lovan said he enjoys volunteering for the recycling program, not only as an activity but as a way to give back through an environmentally conscious way.

'It looked like a fun activity, and I wanted to help out the community, and after school I had nothing to do, so I just wanted to help,” Lovan said.

The high school's recycling program is advised by foreign language teacher Merideth Scott, the program meets everyday after school and collects cans, bottles, paper and other recyclables from around the school including the school cafeteria and classrooms.

'It is pretty important because it helps our environment. You usually see people throwing out bottles of waste and everything, and it usually goes into the ocean. In recycling, we can actually use these materials to redistribute it again until it's unusable,” Lovan said.

Lovan's participation in the recycling program and the high school's silver cord program, a program aimed at getting students into the community and volunteering, has taught him the importance of volunteer work.

'It's important to volunteer because it helps you get in touch with the community. The community is a really nice way to keep in touch with everyone and to keep in touch with the environment so that you can keep the world clean and healthy,” Lovan said.

In addition to the recycling club, Lovan is active in the high school and the community participating in programs including band, show choir and bowling.

- Liam Halawith