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SALT LAKE CITY — For Emily Cox, service is more than just a hobby. It's a mindset.
"When you're in the middle of a struggle, you want someone to be there to help you. And then when you have an opportunity to give back, it's like, 'This is awesome, because I can give a little, and other people can give a little,'" she said.
Cox says she decided she wanted to work for Utah-based Fidelity Investments after attending one of the company's service projects last year.
On Saturday, she was one of more than 100 people of all ages who committed their morning to help refresh two of Salt Lake City's oldest schools.
As part of the "Transformation Day" event, Fidelity employees and many of their family members, about 20 Opportunity Scholars from BYU and the University of Utah, and some high school students met to complete projects at West High School and the newly named Mary W. Jackson Elementary.
The volunteers painted, worked on the schools' landscaping and built outdoor furniture like garden boxes, among other improvements.
Nine-year-old Dean Marshall, who volunteered at West High with his family, said he was happy to get to help high-schoolers.
"Their high school is really old, and it's not really that nice. And we're gonna fix it up and turn it nice," he said, duster in hand, as he took a break from cleaning library books.
His father, Justin Marshall, said that he has volunteered at Fidelity's service events as often as he's been able to.
"I just started because when I first got here at Fidelity, it was fun to be a part of it. And then it's like you catch the bug and want to do it all the time," he explained.
Ford White, the principal of West High, said the volunteers' efforts are definitely noticed by the teens who attend the school.
"The kids are surprised when they come back. … We spruce things up. Especially at the end of the year, when most schools are feeling pretty tired. We get to warm it up again," White said.
Reed Wellman, a regional leader for Fidelity, says he believes the events are popular among the company because they provide employees chances to get to know each other better and give them a sense of accomplishment when they see the end product of their work.
Also, "It's great to hear that the students notice it and appreciate it," he said.
Fidelity Investments also gave West High School a check for $2,500 to go toward its students' ACT preparedness.
"The money is a great contribution to directly impact our students who can't always afford the typical ACT prep class," White said.
On Thursday, family members of Mary Jackson presented 4th through 6th graders at the elementary school copies of the children's version of "Hidden Figures," donated by Fidelity Investments.
"My favorite question from the students was: 'Are these ours, or do we have to bring them back?' …and every single kid was excited, and they carried them home that very day," said Jana Edwards, principal at Mary Jackson Elementary.
Fidelity Investments has held "Transformation Day" events for more than 10 years, Wellman said.
