Steve Schmitz first learned about BWorks through his son, Chris, who discovered the organization through his passion for cycling. After hearing about BWorks, Steve decided to visit himself; at the time, BWorks was located in a small storefront in south city before moving to its current location in Soulard. Steve still remembers the volunteer community coming together to move bikes and materials from the original location to the new building in a “caravan-like move.”
Shortly after the 2011 move, Steve began volunteering with BWorks. As a retired public school science teacher with 37 years of experience at Normandy High School, Steve knew he wanted to continue doing work that had purpose and value after retirement. With his background as a cyclist and outdoors enthusiast, BWorks felt like the perfect place to stay connected to his community while supporting a mission he believed in.
Longtime volunteer Steve Schmitz, at right, is pictured above with his friend, Tim, at BWorks.
Steve initially started as a volunteer mechanic, but eventually transitioned into a more customer-facing role: he greeted visitors, answered questions, helped manage donations, and assisted customers looking for bikes. Steve also developed a talent for finding customers’ appropriate bike size just by glancing at their height and arm length.
Over time, Steve shifted to remote volunteering, a role he continues today. Every day, he helps manage BWorks’ email communications, directing questions to the appropriate staff members and ensuring people receive the support they need. He also created BWorks’ personalized 501(c)(3) tax letter that accompanies donations to BWorks!
Volunteering at BWorks has continued to be an important part of Steve’s life.
“It keeps me busy, happy, and doing something that I am proud of doing,” Steve says. For him, being involved in work that matters and helps others is what makes life meaningful.
Steve shared this blast-from-the-past photo from a celebration in 2013, when BWorks was celebrating its 25th year of empowering St. Louis youth through in-depth bike and computer education programs.
When asked about his favorite memories as a volunteer, Steve recalls one moment from his time working with BWorks visitors. A mother and her young daughter came to BWorks looking for a bike, and while Steve helped them explore their options, the little girl quickly warmed up to him and asked to sit in his lap in his wheelchair. With her mother’s encouragement, Steve and the young girl rolled around the shop together as they searched for the perfect bike. When they finally found one and were ready to leave, the girl smiled, waved goodbye, and left with a bike she loved.
Another special memory for Steve is that his son, Chris, held his wedding reception at BWorks, creating a meaningful connection between his family and the organization.
Over the years, the Schmitz family, including Steve and his wife, Wilma, as well as their adult kids and grandkids, have helped make BWorks the organization it is today.
When asked where he would bike if he could go anywhere in the world, Steve reflected on the many rides he took when he was younger, including trips through St. Charles County, across the river into Illinois, and along the River Road.
“Those days and that riding have left memories that are both good and important to me — and that’s enough,” Steve explains.
We’re so grateful for Steve’s many years of dedication, kindness, and commitment to serving others.
For many BWorks students, the end of an Earn-A-Bike class marks the beginning of countless bike rides. For Zach Dinga, it also marked the beginning of his volunteer journey.
While participating in BWorks’ Earn-A-Bike program, Zach discovered he really enjoyed taking bikes apart and putting them back together. When his mom, Christina, shared his enthusiasm with programs director Evie Hemphill, she invited him to come back as a volunteer. Since March, Zach has been spending Saturday mornings at BWorks alongside his parents.
“I was looking for something to do and enjoy building things, so I decided to give it a try,” Zach said. “It turns out that I really liked it.”
In this photo by BWorks volunteer Wayne Brinkman, Zach Dinga pauses from helping restore a 1950s-era Schwinn Corvette that was donated to the organization.
As a volunteer, Zach helps disassemble and rebuild donated bikes and has even had the opportunity to work on a class bike. One of his favorite tasks has been installing the brakes on a bicycle!
Beyond learning new mechanical skills, Zach has found a welcoming community at BWorks.
“It’s been fun getting to work with BWorks staff and volunteers,” he shared. “They are easy to get to know and talk to. They tell stories, and I enjoy listening to them.”
For Zach, the most rewarding part of volunteering is knowing his work makes a difference.
“My favorite part of volunteering at BWorks is knowing that I am helping other people and the community,” he explained. “I like being a part of something big and doing something that will bring other kids enjoyment.”
Volunteering at BWorks has also had a meaningful impact on Zach personally. Through his time in the shop, he has met new people, spent time doing something he enjoys, and developed a stronger connection to his community.
If Zach could ride anywhere in the world, he would choose the beaches of the Bahamas, where he’d have fun exploring the island’s scenery on a bike with sand tires.
We’re grateful for Zach’s continued involvement with BWorks and the enthusiasm he brings each time he volunteers. His willingness to return after completing Earn-A-Bike and give back to the program is helping strengthen our community and making a real difference!
One of the most recent places Zach Dinga biked was Banff National Park in Canada. He said it’s his new favorite place to bike. (Photo courtesy of Christina Dinga)
Erik Johnson first began volunteering with BWorks in 2018. After taking a break for a few years, he returned in the summer of 2025 after noticing that BWorks had started offering classes in his home state, Illinois. While he had previously focused on shop work, getting involved with the classes quickly became his favorite part of volunteering.
Erik says he was originally drawn to BWorks because he wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself. As he explored volunteer opportunities, BWorks stood out by bringing together several of his passions: bikes, computers, and teaching.
Today, Erik primarily volunteers by helping teach classes, where he enjoys working directly with students. Like many other volunteers, he has also gone the extra mile by helping with the buildout of BWorks’ new soon-to-be home at South Grand. Additionally, he’s looking forward to taking on an even larger role as a member of the BWorks board of directors during the next term.
When asked about his favorite memories as a volunteer, he mentioned a particular moment from a class taught in Hartford, Illinois, with Programs Director Evie Hemphill.
“One of the students and her grandparent gave us handwritten notes thanking us for the class and telling us what it meant to her,” Erik said. Moments like these are what make volunteering at BWorks so rewarding.
One of Erik Johnson’s most recent volunteer efforts with BWorks involved co-leading a six-week Earn-A-Bike class headquartered at Hartford Public Library in Illinois. Riding-practice days involved a lot of great trail riding along the MCT Confluence Trail for this Spring 2026 group in addition to neighborhood- and lot-based drills.
Another favorite part of volunteering for Erik happens after the work is done. He enjoys the evenings when volunteers and staff stay after the shop closes to relax, share stories, and get to know one another. Those conversations have allowed him to build meaningful connections with the people who make BWorks such a special community.
Volunteering has also had a significant impact on Erik personally. After spending time working remotely for a large technology company, BWorks provided an outlet that had been missing from his daily life. Working alongside fellow volunteers, connecting with students, and contributing to the organization’s mission has given him a renewed sense of purpose and fulfillment.
In recent years, BWorks programs have also reached various Illinois schools, including Lincoln Middle School in Edwardsville, Illinois. Erik (at the far back in this picture) provided critical mechanical support and riding encouragement throughout this six-week series, which was made possible through an ACT (MCT) Community Action Grant.
If Erik could bike anywhere in the world, his first answer is “everywhere.” He hopes to someday ride across the United States and eventually travel to Europe to bike the Camino de Santiago. When it comes time for retirement, he plans to spend even more time embarking on long-distance bike touring adventures.
As Erik looks ahead to serving on BWorks’ board of directors, he’s excited to learn more about the organization and continue supporting its mission in new ways. We’re so thankful for Erik’s dedication and enthusiasm, and we’re excited to see the impact he’ll continue to make as part of the BWorks community!
Eva Carrasquillo-Wilkinson was only about two hours into her very first day of a summer internship with St. Louis BWorks when she found herself surrounded by Earn-A-Bike students meeting their individually chosen, newly refurbished bikes for the very first time. That first day of her 2026 Pershing Fellowship also involved finding herself on a bike for the first time in a long while, as she jumped into riding-practice drills right alongside the kids as part of her BWorks orientation.
“At this point, I probably knew less about bikes than the students,” Eva recalls of those first few hours, which threw her directly into Day 4 of a weekslong Earn-A-Bike series at Little Creek Nature Area in north St. Louis County, working with a group of students in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.
“After seeing how ecstatic the kids were about finally being able to test out the new bikes that would officially be theirs soon, I knew I was in for a very rewarding summer.”
Partway through an Earn-A-Bike graduation at Chain of Rocks Bridge on June 25, Eva (at left) and BWorks students take time to check out the amazing views of the Mississippi River and St. Louis along the bike and pedestrian bridge.
Eva, a rising senior in psychology and children’s studies at Wash U, is BWorks’ fourth Pershing Fellow in four years, part of a cohort of St. Louis-area college students selected each summer from Harris-Stowe, SLU, UMSL and Wash U for a paid internship in partnership with a local nonprofit organization. Each fellow is tasked with contributing significantly to identified needs within the organization, while also gaining an understanding of nonprofit leadership, connecting with and serving others, and developing a deeper appreciation of St. Louis.
The fellows also have a real stake in selecting which organization they are paired with, and for Eva, BWorks stood out for several reasons.
“When I received a catalog of 30-plus St. Louis nonprofit organizations to consider working for this summer, I was studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, where nearly 50% of people bike to school and work every day,” Eva says.
She was falling in love with that city’s commitment to sustainable, active transportation at the same time that she was considering what was next.
“I came across BWorks’ programs and their mission,” Eva explains, “and I was excited by the important work they were doing to encourage kids to ride while also inspiring confidence, teamwork, and problem-solving through experiential learning.”
Working with kids has always come naturally to Eva, whose studies and career ambitions reflect those talents. Serving as an assistant Earn-A-Bike, Learn-To-Ride and Earn-A-Computer teacher for BWorks has proved an excellent fit — Eva brings great experience in previous roles providing behavioral support to children with autism and serving as a practicum student in an international elementary school.
But just like she found on her first day with BWorks nearly two months ago, there’s still lots to learn.
“Before working at BWorks, I had never thought about bikes beyond just riding one in my neighborhood, and I’m probably as far as you can get from a mechanic,” Eva admits. “Learning the parts of a bike, how to make different repairs, and bike safety, while also trying to help kids learn those same skills, has pushed me outside of my comfort zone. It has required me to ask questions, be honest with myself about what I do and don’t know, and become comfortable learning alongside the students.”
That’s a common experience for many members of the BWorks village, and Eva’s contributions both in a wide variety of youth classes this summer and on other organizational fronts have her interacting with all sorts of them. In addition to BWorks staff, volunteers, students and parents, Eva is connecting with a variety of community partners as her summer duties bring her from place to place around the St. Louis region.
“Before starting my internship, I had no idea the extent to which BWorks intentionally brought its programs into different communities instead of only hosting classes on-site,” she says. “Seeing BWorks adapt its programming to meet the needs and schedules of different schools and organizations has shown me how important community partnerships are for increasing access and creating an even greater impact. Additionally, it has helped me appreciate how much behind-the-scenes relationship building goes into running a successful nonprofit.”
But Eva hasn’t been content to merely observe these things; she’s jumped in to help the organizational team continue imagining and thoughtfully strategizing toward what’s ahead, particularly as work continues on BWorks soon-to-be new home at Grand and Flora in St. Louis’ vibrant Shaw neighborhood.
Projects have ranged from mapping the location of every class so far in 2026 and drafting a survey for parents and caregivers to gauge the long-term impact of BWorks programs on their children to conducting interviews and updating school and caregiver communication pieces.
There’s no contest, though, when it comes to deciding on her favorite part of the internship. It’s the youth.
Eva pauses for a celebratory graduation photo with July 2026 Learn-To-Ride graduates on a recent Saturday afternoon. She spent four Saturday afternoons this summer working with fellow BWorks teacher Chad and this group of brand-new riders, who each made huge strides on two wheels.
“In my view, the magic of BWorks comes from the pure joy, confidence, and learning that kids show during our classes,” Eva says. “There’s something really special about that moment when you finally believe you can do something.”
One such moment came a couple weeks ago when Eva got to witness one of her BWorks students independently pedal on two wheels for the very first time in his life. Part of a summer camp with Firm Foundation Tutoring in U. City, this particular BWorks Earn-A-Bike cohort included 11 kids who already knew how to ride a bike and, as it turned out when the bikes arrived several weeks into the course, one who did not.
Flexing to meet the needs of the moment as every BWorks teaching team is adept at doing, Eva and her fellow BWorks teacher didn’t bat an eye, and neither did the student still learning to ride. As Eva coached him alongside the students already riding, she saw him develop and deploy the kind of determination and resilience that makes BWorks’ mission even clearer to Eva. She’ll never forget the moment he exclaimed, up on two wheels, “I can do it! I can do it! I’m riding a bike!”
“Seeing that moment was truly heartwarming,” Eva says, “Even afterwards, when he followed with, ‘I’m not riding a bike!’ and fell, he immediately got back up and reassured me, ‘I’m OK, I’m OK!”
After graduating from Wash U, Eva hopes to obtain a graduate degree in school psychology. She’s been passionate about the intersection of psychology and education for a long time.
“I think my summer at BWorks has complemented these interests well,” she says. “Working with students in the BWorks programs has reinforced for me that learning is influenced by confidence, relationships and opportunities outside of the formal classroom. Whether a child is learning how to ride a bike, repair one, or code, I see how much encouragement, patience and hands-on problem-solving help them build skills while also developing self-confidence and perseverance. Those are the same kinds of environments I hope to foster during my career as a school psychologist.”
The Pershing Fellow experience has broadened Eva’s understanding of how community organizations can play a critical role in providing experiences, mentorship and resources beyond what schools alone can do.
“This experience has inspired me to stay involved with nonprofits throughout my career as someone who can help connect schools with community resources so that students have access to the support they need to thrive,” Eva says.
The BWorks team is fortunate to have been paired with Eva this summer, and will certainly be cheering her on as she looks toward her next chapter!
