Spring into Service at Carolina

Today we feature a guest blog from sophomore Frank Wu, who recently returned from his spring break.

The Pembroke group at a local Lumbee community event with an elder.

For the week of March 9 - 17, I was blessed with the opportunity to lead ten UNC students from diverse backgrounds on a service trip. Service truly plays a strong role in the UNC student community. Every year, the APPLES Service-Learning Program sends out 60 students to 5 different locations for an Alternative Spring Break. Locations this year included: Atlanta, Ga., Birmingham, Ala., Pembroke, N.C., Hyde County, N.C., and eastern N.C.

Our group went to Pembroke, where we conducted a truly multi-faceted service experience. We spent time landscaping a cultural center, planting an organic farm, and helping at a local Boys & Girls Club. In addition to the direct service we performed, we held critical discussions with local community leaders on the issue of rural poverty. And to culminate the experience, our group will design an advocacy project to be presented at the end of the semester.

As a result of the break, our group of twelve students left the experience with a bond that will last a lifetime. Most importantly, through our diversity, we learned from each other as each of us brought a unique perspective to the group. For me personally, this experience only inspired me to seek more opportunities to lead and to serve.