Volunteer Spotlight: Trevor H.

Volunteer Spotlight: Trevor H.

I looooove when volunteers become known for something. Last October, during Pumpkin Carving Chaos, a friendly face just kept coming back almost every day to diligently carve pumpkins. In fact, he was here so frequently that even Kathleen B., a volunteer who manages all the stencils, and Nathan, our pumpkin gutter extraordinaire, started referring to him as the “Master Carver!” That volunteer was Trevor H.! Trevor is an Iowa State student who has volunteered in many capacities (not just Spirits in the Gardens-related activities!), including working at the Plant Sale Extravaganza, helping with Youth Day Camps, and pot-washing.

Trevor H., volunteer since 2020Trevor stands with one of the pumpkins he carved.

Why did you first decide to volunteer at Reiman Gardens?

I was very interested in working with Reiman Gardens when I heard what they have been hosting and everything. However, the main reason is because I have a certain amount of hours that I need to do to maintain my scholarship, and this is the easiest, most convenient way to complete them.

Why did you continue to volunteer here?

I love working with the various events Reiman Gardens has to offer. Its many events and opportunities have me becoming involved in things I have never participated in before or even thought of participating in. However, it’s mainly the community that volunteers that really keeps drawing me back. Whenever I come to Reiman Gardens, there’s just a completely relaxed, calm environment that helps me escape.

What types of volunteering did you try, and what were your favorite types of volunteering opportunities?

I’ve helped out at the Spirit of the Gardens event, Plant Sale Extravaganza, pot washing, and many more opportunities. I love working with the Spirit of the Gardens event because there are so many things that go into it. From cutting out the stencils to actually cutting the pumpkins, there are things that take days, even weeks to finish because of the sheer amount of pumpkins that are involved. Even last year, we completed over 1000 pumpkins, and this year, I am very excited to help out for the event because it is now 2 weeks instead of 1. This is such an amazing event that brings in both students and families.

What do you do for fun when you aren’t at Reiman Gardens?

I love playing a few instruments (piano, guitar, and French horn) but I absolutely love learning new hobbies. I’m a person of many interests so if there’s something new that I see, I try it to see if I want to still follow through or if I would rather stay with what I’m doing.

What more would you like to share?

I think that Reiman Gardens is the best place to try things that one has never thought of doing. For me, it’s actually the volunteering at the Spirits of the Gardens. I’ve never stenciled a pumpkin like Reiman Gardens, especially haven’t even thought of the level of difficulty that I’ve been able to complete here. I never went past the generic two eyes and a smile for a pumpkin, and that was over 10 years ago. I think that the most important thing is to know that Reiman Gardens, although it might not seem like it, is the best place to branch out and try things. I definitely never would have done the stenciling if it wasn’t brought up a million times by my friends and scholarship, but now it’s my favorite thing to do and I get really excited when I just walk into Reiman Gardens to stencil or carve.

We love inspiring our volunteers, who in turn inspire us to stay creative and come up with new opportunities! As an auxillary of Iowa State University, we are so appreciative of the students who spend time here and help develop our spaces into welcoming, beautiful, and educational areas for our entire community.  If you’d like more information about volunteering, learn more.