As a student at Rollins College, emails encouraging me to apply for alternative breaks and weekend-long immersion trips flood my inbox, but one Maymester immersion trip peaked my interest: the Discovering Champions Within Community Colorado Immersion. The flyer announcing the immersion does not list every detail of the trip, so I did not know what to expect. The adventurous nature of immersions is what makes them so exciting. What I thought would be a community service trip with a side of sightseeing turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of my first year at Rollins College.

You may be wondering why you would want to spend the money to travel out of state to do volunteer work, but immersion experiences are not just cleaning up the beach or serving food at a shelter for the homeless; they're more than that. All immersion experiences have a common theme, and this immersion was centered on champions, or leaders, within the communities of Denver and Colorado Springs.

On this particular immersion experience, students had the opportunity to interact with incredible leaders within the Denver and Colorado Springs area, one of which was David Lord, chairman of the Board of Trustees. It was inspiring to see someone so passionate about Rollins students and their success. Additionally, students had the opportunity to interact with Rollins College alumni who work to serve the community where they live. One family was even hosting a 17-year-old high school student who was training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, so he could represent the United States in Rio.

Community service is a key part of the immersion experiences. On this particular immersion, participants explored a wide range of community service areas, including working with CUSP (Coalition for the Upper South Platte) by removing and replanting small trees, as well as by removing slash (brush) from a tree farm. Students also worked to assemble parts for beds necessary for the remodeling of a shelter for the homeless and delivering meals to persons of advanced age through Meals on Wheels.

The Rollins College Center for Leadership & Community Engagement offers numerous immersion trips throughout the school year, summer and winter break. The immersion experiences cover a broad range of interest areas and some experiences even take students abroad. As someone who has participated in two immersion experiences, I consider these experiences some of the most memorable of my first semester. Open the immersion emails; I’m sure you’ll find something that captures your attention.