At my old school, I was fortunate enough to attend an alternate spring break program that visited Great Smoky Mountain National Park down in Tennessee. The small group I went with was a mixture of alumni and students from all grades. This trip was easily the most amazing experience I have ever had and the most fulfilling.

As a freshman in college, this was a big step for me. I was willingly giving up my spring break to attend a trip where I knew not a soul. At that point in time, I was the type who avoided social situations as much as I could. Yet, something told me that I needed to go on this trip.

The group I went with primarily focused on trail maintenance. We had a ranger who took us on hikes around the park and gave us the tools to properly help with trail upkeep. When I originally applied for this trip I was not sure what to expect, and I was happily surprised.

The volunteering gave me so much joy. To be able to bring back the beauty that the park had--since some of it was burnt by the wildfire. Opportunities such as this help humble you and allow you to realize just how precious our earth is and what it provides us with.

On the other hand, it also allows you to meet some amazing people, and the friends I made on this trip are some of the kindest and accepting people I have ever met. Every night we all sat together and spoke about our day, talked about our highs and lows and what was important to us and our lives. We also wrote affirmations that we read at the end of the trip that changed how I will forever look at myself.

The moral of my little story is this: do what makes you uncomfortable because you’ll be amazed at what you can get out of it. I now go on every trip I can attend and am much more open than I was my freshman year. I met some amazing people and grew as a person all from helping others.

It’s especially important to help others in college because if you have the means to go get further schooling then you absolutely have the means to give back to the community in any way you can.