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© Copyright 2018 Alternative Spring Break

Student testimonials

Ever wondered what ASB really means? Read below for past participants’ stories about their experiences with ASB! 

Have any ASBestimonials of your own you’d like to share? We’d love to hear them! Contact asbestimonials@gmail.com to have your stories featured, too. 

I love ASB because you’re given the unique opportunity to volunteer in a community vastly different from your own, yet draw parallels between your life and broader social issues. In Mississippi, my group worked in a rural and impoverished area that opened my eyes to a lifestyle beyond the college bubble. My favorite memory of the trip is meeting and talking with our volunteer site contacts. I loved seeing their passion for the community and it was refreshing to hear their stories. In addition to meeting community members, you also bond closely with your group through service. It’s amazing how quickly my group created inside jokes in only one week, but inevitable that we all became friends through our uniquely shared experience. -Robin Yeh, Sunflower County, Mississippi

My favorite memory of ASB was working on Clagett Farm with my newfound ASB family. It was incredible to be able to spend a week in the sunshine using my hands instead of sitting at a desk all day. Our work was visible and highly valued by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. It was a great feeling to be needed. Without our ASB trip’s yearly contributions, CBF wouldn’t be able to plant as many crops and trees as they do every April.  -Kara Adams, Annapolis, Maryland

I have a great appreciation for the desert and the plants, animals and humans who can live sustainably in that kind of climate. That being said, I am wary of large numbers of people living in the desert in a fully “modern” way because we consume way too much water and energy for it to be sustainable there. I have so much respect for the people who dedicate themselves to the working for the National Parks.   -Allie Arnold, Catalina Mountains, Arizona

The children were often so keen to help out and talk to us and knowing that we were helping these children have access to healthy food was really exceptional. The 71 women that we built gardens for undergo so many struggles that are unimaginable in the United States, so to be able to play a small role in working to help them was an unforgettable experience and made many of us on the trip want to return at some point to Primeros Pasos and continue helping these families in Xela  -Rachel Harvey, Xela, Guatemala

[My favorite memory of ASB is] oyster restoration with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. We spent a significant amount of time cleaning and packing oyster shells to be placed back into the bay to restore oyster habitats. On this service event, everyone learned more about the significance of oysters in their habitats while also being able to sweat a bit in order to make an impact. The group had to really work together to be able to clean and bag the oysters in a timely manner without clogging the machinery used to clean the oysters. We had to actually stop because we had bagged a ton of oysters and those were now ready to be put back into the bay. -Jose Chavez Carballo, Virginia Road Trip

Before this trip, I never realized how much work went into maintaining national parks. It’s all too easy to take a trail for granted.Considering how understaffed they are, I’m amazed at how passionately and reliably the rangers do their jobs.  Working with Park Ranger John in Congaree was a blast. This man kept up his goofily cheery attitude day in and day out. It was obvious that he truly loved his job and poured his heart into it every day. He kept us laughing as we worked the whole week. -Zach Schauffler, Congaree, South Carolina