What a Spring Break of Service Taught Me

When many college students make plans for spring break, they usually book a hotel in some warm, tropical location with friends and set their sights on lounging by the beach and getting a killer tan. That had been my exact plan up until a few weeks before spring break this year, when one of my friends mentioned a “Pay It Forward” service tour they’d seen advertised on the UIUC Facebook pages and around campus. According to the pitch, the trip would consist of traveling to six different cities across the north-eastern section of the U.S. (Indianapolis, Canton, Pittsburgh, Hershey, Baltimore, and D.C.) while performing service projects along the way. I’d had a history of volunteering with scouts and various charity groups, and got really excited at the idea of traveling to a part of the country I’d rarely experienced. So, following my gut, I signed up.

The tour was hosted by a non-profit service group called STLF, Students Today Leaders Forever. The organization has a thriving presence in many colleges across the nation, but is still relatively new to the University of Illinois. Because of this, not too many students knew of STLF except for those who had participated in high school: a tiny group of 3. It was this trio who organized the entire trip, avidly promoting it through Facebook and flyers. From their enthusiasm and encouragement, 22 of us took a leap of faith and registered. What we were in for, no one was quite sure. The itinerary seemed pretty vague, as well as the packing list. Even after attending an information session, most of us still couldn’t get a handle on what kind of weather or service we should pack for. It was really funny to see how people stuffed their suitcases when the big day came to set out; some of us had heavy jackets, others tank tops and shorts. In the midst of the confusion, one of us even forgot a pillow! But, in the end, we all made due with what we had, and made a few trips to Wal-mart along the way.

Our adventure started out, as most of these kinds of ventures start, a little awkwardly. We were a band of mismatched characters: chatty people, quiet people, homey people, international people, funny people, stoic people. Hardly anyone knew each other, despite the fact that we all attended the same school. Some of us discovered we shared classes or lived in the same building. We began asking ourselves how we’d never noticed each other before. I suppose it was from our obvious differences. However, we all shared a common trait: a desire to help others in need. It would be this similarity that tied us together into a family.

Each morning, we woke up bright and early to perform various service projects, from cleaning a homeless shelter to helping out at a school for the blind. It was so rewarding just to see how grateful people were for our help. In mere hours, we finished jobs that would have taken days or weeks normally. The work not only helped us build a better understanding of what it means to be fortunate, but stronger bonds with each other. After a day of working, traveling and touring the new city, we gathered together for nightly activities. At first, these were mere ice breakers and getting-to-know-you games, but over time they became more serious and focused on our stories as individuals. By understanding the stories, we understood each other, sometimes even better than our closest friends from school. It’s just incredible to think that we’d only known each other a few days and had already grown so close.

I don’t think I can ever really express in words how much I enjoyed the Pay It Forward Tour. Honestly, none of us wanted it to end. I jumped on that bus without much expectation and came off with many awesome friends, knowledge of beautiful new cities and an experience I’ll remember forever.  I highly encourage anyone in college to attend a trip like this one. You can learn so much about making a difference in people’s lives by showing you care. All you need is a little heart and a leap of faith.