I joined Alternative Seasonal Break (ASB) in the fall semester of my freshman year, and I was one of two trip facilitators for a one-week winter volunteer trip to an animal sanctuary called Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah. I, together with my co-trip facilitator, organized weekly meetings for a group of 14 students, contacted the housing and volunteering site and planned the trip itinerary. Our trip was a success and I learned a lot from the experience, not only on how to build an efficient and scientific system to rescue homeless or abused animals and help them find their new homes, but also on how to plan an event successfully and how to react when emergencies happen.

 

Following the trip, my sophomore year, I got more involved and served as one of the Trip Facilitator Trainers on board for ASB. I Attended weekly board meetings and coordinated with other board members on volunteering trip planning. I also recruited new Trip Facilitators for the reasons by reviewing application essays and holding interviews. Most importantly, together with my other two Trip Facilitator Trainers, we held trainings every week for selected Trip Facilitators. We gave them guidance based on our experience as Trip Facilitators on our previous trips, and give them advice on the work and any problems encountered in their trip planning. This experience was very rewarding in terms of leadership skills improvement, as the role of both Trip Facilitator and Trip Facilitator Training involved interacting and leading a group of people to accomplish a common goal.

 

I feel proud that I was able to facilitate successful trips and also pass on my knowledge and experience to the new ones. I am also proud because I was able to make a contribution to different social issues that I deeply care about through my volunteering activities and leadership roles in ASB.