Hey guys!
So today is the first real day of Spring Break (woooohoooo!!!!). I am so excited and I thought I would take a little time out to tell you what my plans are for this week. One of the main pillars of Boston College is "Men and Women for others." Boston College students are encouraged to do their best to share their time and effort with people who are less fortunate. Although it is not required, many students take this pillar to heart and one example of this is the Appalachia Voulenteers Group. Every year around 600 students dedicate their spring break to help out the people of the Appalchian region. I never thought I would go on an alternative spring break trip in college but here I am. I will be heading off to Hurely VA soon and I am very excited. I'll check back in after the trip and share my experience.
Talk to you soon, Nicole
Showing posts with label Appalachia Volunteers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Appalachia Volunteers. Show all posts
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Appalachia
Hello again!
A few weeks ago, I spent spring break in Sewee, SC with thirteen other BC students through the Appalachia Volunteers program. Even though very few of us knew each other beforehand, we bonded quickly and had an amazing week! Initially, I was dreading the eighteen hour bus ride that brought us to our destination, but it passed by much faster than I expected and we all chatted/slept/watched movies the whole way there.
From the first moments we arrived at our site, I was struck by the kindness with which all of the community members treated our group. During our first afternoon, they introduced us to the unique problems that face their area and informed us of the tasks that we would do over the course of the week. Our projects included painting several houses, clearing out a cemetery, and reorganizing an elementary school classroom.
Although I've only been back on campus for a couple of weeks, it feels like Spring Break was forever ago. The weather is finally starting to warm up here in Boston and the whole campus has been very energetic lately!
A few weeks ago, I spent spring break in Sewee, SC with thirteen other BC students through the Appalachia Volunteers program. Even though very few of us knew each other beforehand, we bonded quickly and had an amazing week! Initially, I was dreading the eighteen hour bus ride that brought us to our destination, but it passed by much faster than I expected and we all chatted/slept/watched movies the whole way there. 
From the first moments we arrived at our site, I was struck by the kindness with which all of the community members treated our group. During our first afternoon, they introduced us to the unique problems that face their area and informed us of the tasks that we would do over the course of the week. Our projects included painting several houses, clearing out a cemetery, and reorganizing an elementary school classroom. It was clear that the leaders of the organization hoped that our experience would help us understand the realities of life in the poverty-stricken region while also allowing us to see the benefits of living in their culture. All of the BC students on the trip were inspired by the people's motivation to improve the quality of life for all people in their community and the kindness with which they treated each other.
After working each day, the trip leaders prepared a reflection for the group, urging us to consider our past life experiences, the difficult things we witnessed on the trip, and the ways in which we hope to carry this experience with us in the future. Returning back to BC, all of us were refreshed and changed by our week in SC. Although I am no longer in the Appalachian region, I have carried the lessons I learned over the week back to campus and will definitely go on an Appalachia trip again next year!
If you have any questions about Appalachia or other programs offered here at BC, email me at eatonaa@bc.edu!
~Annelise
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