October 7, 2025 -- On a sweltering Friday afternoon, Walnut Ridge High School senior Curtisy McGhee found herself scouring the school’s sprawling campus for bottles, wrappers and stray bags. What started as a cleanup quickly turned into something more—a personal pledge to not contribute further to the problem.
“I don’t want anyone else to have to come out here and do this in this heat,” McGhee said.
For McGhee and her classmates, the experience wasn’t just about picking up trash. It was about building pride in their school, strengthening community connections, and taking the first steps in preparing to be leaders in their own neighborhoods.
McGhee was one of about 40 students from Walnut Ridge who joined forces for the Mideast Litter League Competition. The effort concluded the City of Columbus’ third annual Public Safety Week, bringing students together with Columbus Division of Police, Columbus Division of Fire, City of Columbus Office of Violence Prevention and Keep Columbus Beautiful volunteers.
At its core, the event was still about one simple task: cleaning up litter. The rules were simple: divide into teams and compete to see who could collect the most trash. But the impact stretched beyond the competition. The event, spearheaded by Columbus City Councilmember Emmanuel Remy, paired students with local first responders and gave them a chance to talk about careers, community, and responsibility.
With police cadets standing nearby, Remy reminded students that those cadets were Leaders Grown Here in Columbus City Schools (CCS) high schools like Walnut Ridge. He invited cadets to speak, many of whom were recent graduates of CCS who shared their own paths—including some from Walnut Ridge’s longtime rival, Eastmoor Academy. That lighthearted revelation prompted administrators to haul out the prized rivalry bell, earning cheers from students and laughter from volunteers.
“This is great to get so many of our students involved,” Remy said. “This gives them the opportunity to mingle with cadets and just start building those relationships. If the students have an interest in being a first responder, this is a good way to get the two together and get out there and clean up our community.”
The competition also came with tangible benefits: each participant earned 10 community service hours toward the 120 required by Columbus City Schools for graduation.
By the end of the afternoon, students pulled everything from soda cans to steel pipes and even abandoned baby strollers from the grounds near Big Walnut Creek.
Walnut Ridge Principal Michael Spellis called the effort a success that went beyond cleaning the school.
“This was a beautiful event where the community and students really got to come together and make this school look beautiful, and more importantly, just establish relationships,” Spellis said. “It was really fun to watch the kids talk to people from the community and hopefully make some connections that will benefit them in the future.”
Once the competition was over, the campus looked cleaner, but the real impact went beyond the bags of trash. Students walked away with a deeper sense of responsibility—not only for their school grounds, but for the role they play in shaping their community. Experiences like these remind them that CCS Leaders are Grown Here.
