Four high school students are learning first hand what it means to serve the community by volunteering with the Lions Club at the Central Alabama State Fair.

Central Christian Academy seniors Jerome Deese, Paryss Hernandez, Leann Schiafone were joined by home-schooled freshman Lyndzy Brewer at the Lion’s Club Fair Ground to pitch in and help make the fair a success.

Jerome, like the other CCA seniors, was at the site to fulfill the community service requirements for graduation. CCA requires that all its students work 72 hours of community service before graduation.

But, despite the necessity of the act, Jerome was happy to be at the fairgrounds.

“This is fun,” Jerome said.

Jerome and the others were taking care of the farm animals on Saturday, and can expect to do more jobs around the fair throughout the weekend, and into the week.

Jerome said it was the first time he’d been around the types of animals featured at the fair.

“I got chickens and dogs at my house but (it’s) nothing like feeding baby cows,” he said.

Paryss Hernadez said working at the fair was “different” from here. Paryss said she’d never been around farm animals before.

“I never worked with animals,” she said. “I have four dogs, but not ducks and goats.”

Leann and Lyndzy were the only two of the five who’ve ever really been around animals.

Lyndzy kept a menagerie of pets at home.

“I’ve got a duck, two rabbits and two cats,” the shy freshman said.

Leann worked at Valley Creek Veternarian before, and hopes to become a vet after college.

“So this is my community service and experience,” she said.

Most of the youths will be helping out throughout the fair, and they seemed happy to do so.

Leann said she’d be doing “whatever they put me to doing.”

“We’ll be here often actually,’ Jerome said.