This past March 51 students had the opportunity to participate in service-immersion trips during Spring Break. The students worked in West Virginia, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.

“After traveling to and serving in Jamaica, I value relationship building now more than the actual labor; I never thought I would say that, but I now know the relationships are the most valuable component”, said junior Joe Anello.

Students had a wide variety of experiences and were able to work on many different projects at their service sites, but were also exposed to invaluable educational opportunities, such as discussions with local leaders and home stays with host families.

“You can do as much manual labor as you can, but in the end, the friendships you make and relationships you build are what really matter”, said junior Michael Meier about his week serving in Nicaragua. “It’s something I can’t put into words”.

At the service trip send-off prayer service the Thursday before the beginning of Spring Break, excitement and anxiety was palpable as students gathered to center themselves before spreading across the globe to partake in what would prove to be the experience of a lifetime.

Senior Emily Devore served in Guatemala during her spring break in 2014, and decided that in 2015, she wanted to continue her service journey in West Virginia.

“The chance to travel to Guatemala and see another part of the world truly changed my life”, Devore said. “It caused me to think of the world not in terms of ‘over there’ and ‘over here’, but rather in terms of faces and people who I loved. My service immersion trip to Guatemala ignited a passion for justice in me, as well as a desire to care for the planet. Now, I plan to use my Biology major to do just that.”

After a reflective prayer service, students spent Friday night preparing and packing, then left before sunrise on Saturday morning to catch their flights and begin their journeys.

Students in West Virginia learned about the coal-mining industry as well as the economic and environmental impacts the industry is having in the region. Students in Guatemala worked at a variety of sites every day, such as the San Lucas women’s center, the re-forestation center, and the medical clinic. No matter what the service project, students re-iterated that through it all, there was a true focus on community and working with the people, not “helping” them.

“My experience with service immersion trips has helped me learn to stretch myself and think differently, but most importantly to serve others differently”, said junior Chanelle Zak.

Bill Kriege, Assistant Director of Campus Ministry and Director of Service-Immersion Trips, explained that the purpose of these trips is to push students to embrace the love and joy they experience during their time serving, and use these trips as a spring-board to the rest of their lives.

“These trips are opportunities for students to experience the greater reality of the world around them, but they are only a starting point”, said Kriege. “We hope these experiences will send students on a trajectory for life, and we hope students will honor the people they met and experiences they had while serving with their life.”

The Office of Campus Ministry would like to remind students to apply for service immersion trips in September, and any and all students are encouraged to apply.