A trumpeter and an environmentalist.
First-year Black Hawk College student Anna Pienta is an award-winning musician and an award-winning environmentalist. And she’s only 18.
The 2011 Rock Island High School grad loves the outdoors and is passionate about the environment. She is pursuing an associate in science degree and eventually wants to work in environmental management. While she doesn’t know exactly what area she wants to specialize in, Anna knows she wants to help conserve and preserve the environment while being out in the field studying.
In high school, she undertook a major recycling project called E-Green Recycling. The one-day program collected more than 9,000 pounds of e-waste in Rock Island County.
“Her concern for the environment is a whole lot more than talk. It is action,” said a news release from the city of Rock Island.
“Anna took it upon herself to coordinate an e-waste collection to round up old electronic items to prevent them from finding their way to landfills where the toxins could cause environmental health issues for everyone.”
The project earned her a $5,000 Thoms Family Foundation Above and Beyond Scholarship and an Illinois EPA Governor’s Green Youth Award for environmental achievements. And, she was named by the city of Rock Island as a Youth Citizen of the Year.
Anna Pienta and her parents, Susan and Jerome Pienta
Her other love is music.
Anna began her music career with piano lessons at the tender age of 4. She moved on to playing the trumpet and became a two-time Illinois All-State Musician. Even though Anna is not majoring in music at Black Hawk College, she continues to use her talents by volunteering for special events and community programs.
Her first semester in college has kept her busy with 18 hours of classes and working part-time 20 hours a week as a cashier at Handy True Value. Next semester, Anna hopes take a slighter lighter load so she can join one of the Black Hawk College bands and keep her musical skills in tune.
Anna’s academic talent in high school earned her a 2011 Black Hawk College Presidential Scholars award. The Presidential Scholars Program includes full tuition scholarships to students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their class from a school in the college’s district and enroll at Black Hawk College.
The youngest of three children, Anna is the third Pienta to attend Black Hawk College.
Anna says her brother and sister told her that Black Hawk College “prepares you for the college life while still having the luxuries of living at home.”
So she is following in the footsteps of Nina Pienta Struss and Joseph Pienta who both attended Black Hawk College then transferred to four-year schools to complete their bachelor’s degrees.
