Keep Odessa Beautiful has named Clovis Stacey, Odessa College biology instructor and Keep Odessa Beautiful faculty coordinator, their 2016-2017 Keep Odessa Beautiful Volunteer of the Year.
Stacey’s love of biology and his dedication to helping others has made a significant impact on the college, his students and the community as a whole. His excitement to help make positive change and clean up the Odessa streets has fueled the college to consistently do beautiful things.
Stacey is no stranger to his local community having been a police officer for 14 years prior to pursing his dream of teaching. Along with the biology department, Stacey and staff, as well as hundreds of students, help maintain a local 12- to 14-block area – an under-served neighborhood he was familiar with as an officer and one ridden with much litter.
Along with his staff and students, they have successfully cleaned up this spot and had the opportunity to bond together as they do it.
When asked by a local Odessa newspaper about what led him to his field of work, Stacey said, “It was just to help people. I love helping people. People gave me a chance when I was growing up and I wanted to always return that.”