Going Far, Doing Good
UCSD Students Take Part in Service Trips During Spring Break
April 14, 2008
Shaina Patel bonded with fellow UCSD students who traveled with her to Guatemala. Ashley Nall went to a small, rural school in China and fell in love with the children who study there. They, and scores of other UCSD students, fanned across the globe last month for spring break. They took part in alternative spring breaks, a program that allows students to take one-week service trips to many destinations, from China, to Russia and Guatemala. Some work in orphanages. Others volunteer in schools and hospitals.
This year, This Week@UCSD has asked Patel and Nall to write first-person essays about their experiences. Here are their stories.
Alternative Break Guatemala:
Making 12 Best Friends in One Week
By Shaina Patel
 April 14 -- Travel had been one of the main experiences I was looking forward to in college. No more touristy family vacations for me. I wanted authentic experiences including cultural immersion, philanthropy and self-development. As a freshman, I decided to take part in the first travel opportunity I found: Alternative Breaks. More
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Alternative Break China:
Falling in Love with a Small School
By Ashley Nall
 April 7 -- Before I could blink it was spring break. I was finished with finals and sitting on a plane, on my way to the other side of the world. On our first day in Xi’an, we made our way through dirt alleyways and dilapidated buildings, dodging stray dogs to reach the Zhongbuzi Primary School, where we would volunteer for a week. More
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