Yesterday I returned from my Spring Break trip to Kentucky - what an amazing experience! I traveled with six other SMC students and one faculty member (Joanne Nelson from campus ministry) and got to know them all really well. We shared an amazing experience that will not be soon forgotten!
Our Spring Break began after class on Friday, March 14th. We all got special permission to stay in the dorms for an extra night and we departed from SMC at 5:00 AM on Saturday. We flew from Burlington to Chicago and then from Chicago to Lexington, KY with another SMC Extended Service group who was heading to Kentucky CAP (Christian Appalacian Project). Our flights all went well and we departed from the other Kentucky group at the van rental place to head off to our separate service sites. On the way to our site (The David School, David, KY), we stopped at Sonic for lunch (a few of us had never been - we don't have Sonic in VT!!) and then made the 2 and 1/2 hour journey to David. David is a very small, impoverished coal mining town (population around 400) in Floyd county, which is in Eastern Kentucky.
After arriving at the school and getting settled into the volunteer cabins, our hosts (the principal of the school and another school volunteer) showed us some Floyd country landmarks and introduced us to what The David School is all about and how we would be helping during our trip. As part of our service to the school we prepared meals, tutored students and helped with other projects which included painting bathrooms and clearing leaves out of a runoff ditch on the school property.
Getting to know the students was definitely my favorite part of the trip. We met some amazing individuals who attend the school - students who are so driven and talented but have had trouble in the public school setting. The students and staff of the school welcomed us with open arms and allowed us to become a part of their small community for the few days that we were there. We helped students prepare for the ACTs, played pool, ping pong and badminton with them, had lunch with them, talked about our very different dialects and accents and spent time trying to understand what it is like to live in David, KY.
Getting to know the other SMC students on the trip was another fantastic part of the trip. Our group became incredibly close over the five days that we were together - we spent all our time together, sleeping in bunk beds, preparing meals, hiking and just hanging out together during the school day and in the evenings in our cabins. I am so glad to say that I have become friends with this incredible group of women (no guys went on the trip which happened totally by chance - it depends on who chooses which trip). We had countless laughs, dance parties and inside jokes. I can't wait to have a reunion when we all return to school! Check out this photo of our group in our sweet matching Kentucky shirts (purchased at WalMart!!) with The David School in the background!
Back Row (L-R) Emily, Meg, Jackie, Janine, Becky
Front Row (L-R) me, Jo, Heather
We took this next picture right before we left on Thursday morning - it is our entire group, all of the school staff and all of the students - what an amazing group!
Going on an Extended Service trip was another one of the amazing decisions that I have made at SMC. In high school I participated in activites because I thought it would help my chances of getting into college and because it would look good on a resume or transcript - SMC activities are completely different. The activities that I participate in at SMC have all made an real impact on me. Extended Service, LEAP, tour guiding and my study abroad experience in France have all become a big part of my life, introducing me to new people, new places and giving me more confidence and a sense of fulfilment. Going to Kentucky was an experience that I will never forget!
Shout out to my fellow chacarrons - I am so lucky to have shared this experience with y'all - I miss you times fifty blue million thousandy!
