Recently, I joined Habitat for Humanity over my spring break to rehab a house in my community. In the beginning I thought, "okay, we are just going to be painting some walls and planting some flowers," and I have never been more wrong in my life. For a week I and 10 other students put all we had into scrubbing and sanding every last wall the house had, tearing up the floors and demolishing furniture with sledgehammers. It was beyond my definition of hard work but I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Here's why:

We are going to give somebody a home. Who cares if I had to get a little dirty? There is going to be a family under that roof making memories one day. Memories that they might not have made if it weren't for us.

I productively spent my time for my local community. Otherwise, this spring break I would have spent at home binge-eating and scrolling through Facebook. It gave me such a warm feeling to give back in my home state. I know that I have helped a family that is just in my backyard.

I learned more than I imagined. I learned that I am not a force to be reckoned with when a sledgehammer is involved. But all jokes aside, I learned that giving back brings a level of happiness that is unbeatable. All week I was surrounded by incredible people who were there for the same purpose. We were all constantly reminded how incredible we were for volunteering our time, but to me, it was something I never thought twice about. I wanted to make a difference, and this was my opportunity.

Giving back has the capacity to open people's hearts and change their perspectives. If you have the chance to volunteer, take the leap. Be bold; you might make a new friend, learn something new, or be a reason someone smiles. At the end of the day, it matters who you are inside, the result of that and how you've effected people around you. That's the way I want to live in this world.