Service
Puerto Rico
Service is a very important part of my life and something I value immensely. BHLP has provided me with ample opportunities to serve the community I live in and those far from that. From helping teachers set up their classrooms for a new school year, to running events at a community fair, to engaging in disaster relief and environmental restoration in Puerto Rico, I have a greater appreciation for service and all it provides.Â
The service trip to Puerto Rico that I participated in was one of the main highlights when I think back on my last four years in BHLP. One of my biggest passions is environmentalism and during this trip I was able to participate in beach clean ups, invasive species removal, planting trees, and even help educate others on the trip about various topics related to the environment. A large portion of this trip was focused on disaster relief in which we were paired with one family and worked to restore parts of their home that were destroyed in a hurricane. This was a life changing experience for me as I was able to see with my own eyes how debilitating a natural disaster like a hurricane can be and really changed my mindset going into the future. The experience really pushed me out of my comfort zone and challenged me in many ways, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world.
It is hard to believe that this service trip only lasted two weeks based on the relationships I was able to create. I came back to the mainland with really special bonds with my team members that lasted past just those two weeks. Being on a service trip involved a level of vulnerability that allowed us all to open up and connect to one another on a deeper level. Specifically, the one relationship that I think back on often is the one I formed with the owner of the house we were working on, Maria. Despite a language barrier, we found a way to communicate nonverbally. After a few days we had formed such a strong connection that she handed me her grandchild to hold. During this, she told him that I was family (which was translated to me by a third party). I cannot even describe the level of emotion and love that I felt in that moment, it made every sunburn, sore muscle, and ant bite worth it.
Other Service
Throughout my four years at UD, I was able to participate in service outside of BHLP. I have loved every experience from being an ER volunteer at Grand View Hospital at my home in PA to helping run university events. One of my favorite organizations I worked with was The Seeing Eye through UD's chapter, PRoUD. For four years, I helped raise many talented puppies that went on to have a huge positive impact on people's lives as seeing eye dogs.