Serving others on Spring break

Nearly all students look forward to spring break, a time to give their mind a break from studying and school work. Although each UNI student is given the same week off from class, each individual spends their week doing something different. Stereotypically, many people think of college students to go on week-long tropical vacations with friends. One might be surprised, however how many students spend their spring break serving others.

There are endless opportunities to serve others on spring break. Here you can learn about the phenomenal experiences a few UNI students have had and why they recommend other students to take advantage of these opportunities.

Students Today, Leaders Forever (STLF), a UNI student organization offers students a Pay it Forward trip, travelling to multiple cities, serving others all across the country. From St. Louis, Missouri to San Antonio, Texas the group assists at a variety of museums and churches painting, remodeling, and volunteering to serve others in numerous ways.

“The most rewarding part was seeing the look on people’s faces when they discovered we were college students who voluntarily decided to spend their spring break helping those in need. I loved meeting people who were willing to give up their own time and money to help people less fortunate than them,” said Brittney England, 2015 STLF Pay it Forward tour.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ (BASIC), offers opportunities for students to travel abroad, serving others in other countries. Last year a group of students travelled to Kingston, Jamaica where they spent most of their time at the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf. “Experiencing both the Jamaican culture, as well as the deaf culture were truly eye-opening experiences,” said Lisa Daringer. “The most rewarding part for me was being able to see God’s love in all of the children, as well as the team members I travelled with.”

Many of the group’s afternoons were spent playing with the younger kids, while using sign language and other communication techniques to assist the older kids. “Although it took me weeks to decide if this trip was something I wanted to pursue, I couldn’t be happier about my decision. It allowed me to form relationships that will last the rest of my life and expose me to a side of the world I could never have experienced on my own,” said Daringer.

How will you spend your next spring break? If you have the opportunity to serve others, whether it be locally or abroad, take a chance and go for it! After all, you may end up learning more by the people you're serving than you ever imagined.