Students still plan to serve during Break
Despite advisories issued by the U.S. State Department, a group of seven students are braving the border this Spring Break in the name of making a difference, said Annika Humiston, president of the Rotaract Club, which is the organization working closely with the trip.
The group initially consisted of 20 students but many felt it was not safe enough to go, Humiston said.
“We will be working on one house doing their indoor plumbing and electricity,” Humiston said.
The club got involved with an organization called Wings of Angels. The organization seeks out needy members in the Mexican community that could benefit most from service and funds.
“We tell the director of the group how much money we have and then she matches us with a project,” Humiston said.
The students each have to pay for their own trip so the profits raised benefit the chosen family completely, Humiston said. The students will carpool down to Agua Prieta where they have to pay for their accommodations, food and transportation.
Alyson Bauer, junior in public relations and past participator in the program, said students are responsible for being involved with raising funds by attending meetings, helping to sell valentines and concessions at basketball games in hopes of raising enough money to pay for gas and food.
The Rotary Club groups go to Mexico with one goal in mind, Bauer said, which is “to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education and the alleviation of poverty.”
Last year the volunteers fixed up and repainted a home and dug a sewer line for an orphanage, Bauer said.
“My favorite part was the Mexican children and pretending I could speak to them. We would talk and they would always ask for a (piggyback). They were so cute,” Bauer said.
Although neither Humiston nor Jake Larsen, International Community Service chairman who planned the event, are going on this year’s trip, Humiston said they are both very enthusiastic about service.
“The feeling of fulfillment is better than going to the beach or attending any crazy parties,” Humiston said.
Bauer said she wouldn’t trade the experience for a generic spring break.
“I still had so much fun and was able to be in the sun and I was able to help someone,” Bauer said.
–beck.turner@aggiemail.usu.edu