PCOM South Georgia Students Help Grow the Next Generation Through Garden Updates

July 17, 2026

For the past month, Barrington “Barry” Francis (DO '29) has ended each day at PCOM South Georgia the same way. After a full day of classes, he drives to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Moultrie/Colquitt County to water the garden he has helped revitalize.

The partnership between PCOM South Georgia's Student National Medical Association (SNMA) chapter and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Moultrie/Colquitt County began in 2019, and students launched the garden in 2022. Since then, at least five groups of PCOM South Georgia students have contributed to the garden's development with guidance and support from faculty advisor Robert Jason Walker, PhD.

As community outreach liaison for the SNMA Moultrie chapter, Francis noticed the original wooden raised beds had begun to weather and secured funding to replace them with durable metal garden beds.

Thomas J. Last, PhD, a professor of biochemistry, cell biology, and genetics, spent an afternoon helping Francis install the new beds.

“Working alongside our SNMA students and the Boys & Girls Clubs to expand this garden has been incredibly rewarding,” Last said. “I enjoyed helping build the raised beds, sharing gardening advice, and donating plants over the past few years, including roselle, tomatoes, lemongrass, and mint.”

PCOM South Georgia and SNMA share a similar mission: to educate and empower communities.

“Community service projects like the community garden allow members to extend their impact beyond the classroom and clinical setting by promoting health education and increasing community access to resources,” said Kailyn Geter, national president of SNMA and a medical student at Howard University College of Medicine. “The SNMA chapter at PCOM South Georgia actively embodies the SNMA mission of community service.”

The garden has since become a source of pride for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Moultrie/Colquitt County, where staff have watched both the plants and the children thrive.

“It’s been a joy to see the vegetables, trees, and plants we planted grow a little more each week,” said Joel Jenkins, chief executive officer of Boys and Girls Clubs of Moultrie/Colquitt County. “Even more rewarding is seeing our Club members flourish. Many thanks to our PCOM volunteers for supporting young people.”

As the garden continues to grow, Francis hopes more PCOM South Georgia students will get involved. He plans to create a watering schedule that allows others to build relationships with the children and educate them on nutrition.

“Working with the kids has been one of the most rewarding parts of medical school,” he said. “Their smiles keep me coming back every day.”

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