Trine organizations provide lunches for Timothy L Johnson students

FORT WAYNE — While the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday provided a long weekend for students at Fort Wayne’s Timothy L Johnson Academy, for those who depend on school lunches, it meant possibly going without a meal.

To help alleviate those concerns, students from several Trine University organizations packed and delivered lunches for Timothy L Johnson students to eat on their day off.

On Thursday, Jan. 17, 25 student volunteers from the Alpha Sigma Tau, Gamma Phi Epsilon and Theta Phi Alpha sororities, Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and Trine University Student Government, along with Alex Rossmann, director of student leadership, assembled 400 lunches consisting of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, juice box and snacks. Special lunches were prepared for students with nut allergies.

The next day, 10 members of the university’s cheer and dance teams, staff from Student Success and Engagement and Trine mascot Storm led a short assembly at the school before going to each classroom to deliver the lunches to students. During the assembly, Trine cheerleaders led cheers of “Go Jags,” and Trine students introduced themselves and shared their favorite part about college.

Jeremy Howard, director of student engagement, spoke to the Timothy L Johnson students about the positive impact of lifelong learning.

“I used Timothy L. Johnson's motto of ‘Accepting the Challenge’ to encourage the students to accept the challenges life presents by recognizing their value and sharing that message to those around them,” said Howard. “I encouraged them to work toward becoming the best version of themselves.”

Chartered through Trine University’s Education One, Timothy L. Johnson Leadership Academy provides Allen County students with access to a high-quality education from teachers and school leaders who truly care about their success. The academy offers collaboration with students, parents and the community within the educational system to provide an environment where learning is the centerpiece of students’ lives.