Cassandra Forsyth of Griswold Participates in Spring Break Service Trip

2014 Apr 30

Ten Buena Vista University (BVU) students participated in an AWOL (Alternative Week of Off-site Learning) trip during spring break, enabling them to volunteer their time and service with a focus on disaster relief and clean-up efforts in Greeley, Colo.

Participants in the Disaster Relief trip experienced the after-effects of a weather-related disaster and gained an understanding of the long process of recovery and rebuilding when they traveled to Greeley, Colo., and assisted with cleanup efforts from last year's catastrophic flooding. Students completed a variety of cleanup tasks, worked with a local Habitat for Humanity chapter, cleared debris from a fish farm, volunteered at a food bank and helped restore a historic horse barn.

Cassandra Forsyth from Griswold participated in the trip. Forsyth is a senior graphic design, digital communication and digital media major at BVU.

Advisors for the experience were Dr. Andrea Frantz, associate professor of digital media and Tami Laursen, director of health services and wellness at BVU.

"An AWOL trip is a break from school, but it's a different sort of break," said Frantz. "Education, at its foundation, is about risk-taking and stepping outside your comfort zone, and experiences like these are really new for our students. It's when you're out of that comfort zone, when you're learning about someone else's life and their struggles by living it, that's when the lesson really sticks."

"There was an open mic at a dinner hosted for residents affected by the flood and volunteers from all over the country," said Beatrice Biedenfeld, a senior management major from Colfax and a student site leader for the trip. "Listening to their stories, I was impressed with the optimism and hope they all had, no matter what was handed to them. It really reminded me how lucky I am and how important it is to give back."

Kevin Coriolan, a senior corporate communication and digital media major from Worthington, Minn., was also a student site leader for the trip.

AWOL has sent over 500 volunteers and completed nearly 18,000 hours of service worldwide, furthering its mission to immerse students in different cultures, heighten social awareness and advocate life-long social action through service on a local, regional and international level.

Four AWOL trips took place this year, with over 40 BVU students participating. The other trips focused on children and poverty in Montego Bay, Jamaica; environmental research and animal rescue in Costa Rica; and hunger and health outreach in Staten Island, N.Y. Information about the additional AWOL trips can be found on BVU's website at www.bvu.edu/news.

About Buena Vista University

Buena Vista graduates have a 97 percent rate of employment or admission to graduate/professional schools within six months of graduation, which reflects the quality of the academic programs, faculty, facilities and cutting-edge technology. Forty-three majors and 15 pre-professional programs provide an array of academic options that blend the liberal arts with real-world applications. Generous merit and need-based financial aid programs, and support for academic travel, research, and internships, make BVU an affordable option for all students.