MEMPHIS, TN -
(WMC-TV) - Several University of South Florida students are spending their spring break trying to make Memphis a better place to live.
The students came to learn more about why the city has such high crime rates. They hope to take what they have learned back to Tampa.
But while they are here, the students are also joining forces with ex-offenders to clean up neighborhoods in Frayser.
"When we came here, we didn't have any expectations. We didn't know what to expect, who we were going to meet," said graduate student Antonella Macdessi.
The students teamed up with members of LifeLine to Success and other Memphis City Schools students who are also out on spring break.
LifeLine to Success is a program that assists ex-offenders by putting them to work and re-introducing them back into society.
"What we found is we actually met people in the community that are so invested in getting Frayser and other parts of Memphis fixed up, cleaned up, ready to go," Macdessi continued.
They chose to come to Memphis because of the gun down campaign, which is designed to reduce senseless gun violence.
Most students say they can relate to similar problems.
"Try to implement some of what I've seen here, trying to create a better community working together and bringing awareness especially to the conditions that lead people to do these things," added college senior Jessica Lamb.
Group members say the whole idea of coming to Memphis is to form a relationship between the two cities.
The students plan to come back to the Bluff City every spring and give back.
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