From the Field to the Community: QOHS Varsity Soccer Volunteers at Pleasant View

Last month, the Quince Orchard (QO) High School Boys’ Varsity Soccer Team continued their service tradition by volunteering at the Pleasant View Historical Site in Gaithersburg, a landmark connected to the Black history of Montgomery County and featured in the MCPS Remembrance and Reconciliation curriculum. Their work included clearing debris, moving furniture from the original schoolhouse, weeding, raking leaves, digging trenches and mulching to help maintain the grounds. dfewij 

As we recognize International Volunteer Day on Dec. 5, this project serves as a reminder that students across MCPS can make a difference in their communities year-round. For the QO team members, the experience was more than service; it was an opportunity to build meaningful connections to local history, community members and one another. 

Read their reflections and learn more about ways you can volunteer. 

Kyle Silverman (Senior) shared how returning to the site after several years made the experience especially meaningful:
“It was incredible to have the privilege of doing community service around the Pleasant View United Methodist Church. We visited the building where Black children once went to school. I first did community service there during my sophomore year, when the building was still under repair, so finally seeing it restored after two years was truly amazing. We learned a lot about the school and about Kentlands back when it was mostly rural land. The most inspiring part was hearing families share their personal histories with the school and the role it played in their lives. Listening to their stories, including how many of their relatives are buried in the church cemetery, was especially meaningful. Overall, it was a great experience doing community service with my teammates and learning more about the area’s history and the families’ history with the school building.”

Alon Monti (Senior) reflected on how his understanding has grown since first volunteering there as a sophomore:
“My experience volunteering at Pleasant View Park started 2 years ago when I was a sophomore at Quince Orchard High School. I didn’t know what to expect at first, and thought it was just going to be a team bonding activity. After learning about the history of that location and a bit of the history about the city, I realized that it was much more than that. One of my previous teammates’ dad has a family history connected to the area where Pleasant View is located. Just a few weeks ago, I volunteered again. As a team, we assist with removing unwanted weeds, placing mulch, and shoveling dirt to keep the area nice and clean as the historical site must be clean. One takeaway from my experience is to maintain family connections and preserve history because it is more important than most people think. I am grateful for this experience and am glad that QO soccer can take a big role in assisting and learning about our community.”

Micah Carino (Senior) shared how the experience reshaped his understanding of a place he passes daily:
“Volunteering at Pleasant View Historical Sight was an amazing chance to learn about the rich history of this one room school house. Passing it everyday, I never thought about what it may have been. This opportunity gave me a new perspective not just what the landmark was, rather the history that went on in and around it. I’m grateful that I was able to come out and give support to this site while also learning about the importance of the site. Overall, my volunteering didn’t just give me a sense of accomplishment through my service, but a new lens on life that I will forever look back on.”