For 183 years, students at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) have been encouraged to gain real-world experiences and to give back. One of the various opportunities that students have is to attend alternative break trips. This year, the alternative fall break trip will take place in Knoxville, Tennessee. The group will depart from SMWC on Sunday, October 15, and return to campus on Saturday, October 21.
Tim Tesmer, campus minister, shared that there’s a lot of thought put into planning the alternative break trips for fall and spring. “We do our best to be very intentional about what we want students to gain from the trips.” Last spring, Campus Ministry took students to Washington D.C. for the alternative spring break trip, where they served on the frontline of giving back to the unhoused by passing out produce and bags of goods. The goods were donated by several students, faculty and staff at SMWC. “The amount of support we received for that trip, and continue to receive, is truly amazing,” Tesmer shared.
Tesmer commented that six students will be attending for the fall trip. “The trip will have a focus on homelessness again this semester,” Tesmer said.
In addition to completing acts of service to the unhoused throughout the week, the group will also take time to reflect with one another spiritually, do devotions, have group discussions and more. “We have a really strong group going this semester. They all want to serve and are excited to dive in, so we’re looking forward to the trip,” Tesmer said.
“Our primary purpose on these trips is to serve. Of course, we will do some fun activities, but we truly want to give back,” Tesmer shared, “We want to give students the experience of serving and to really show the difference in discussing situations compared to seeing it in person and witnessing how it feels to serve others.”
As different groups of students attend each trip, Tesmer shared that its impact on the students is one of a kind. “There’s certainly a huge takeaway from these experiences for the students that attend these trips. So many of the students have shared that it’s the act of giving back or merely hearing stories from the people we’ve impacted. It’s truly rewarding,” Tesmer shared.
Although the trips are sponsored through Campus Ministry, there are no guidelines to attend. “Everyone is welcome to sign up for the alternative break trips. We want anyone who wants to serve to come and do so,” Tesmer said.
Plans for the spring 2024 alternative break trip are already set, as SMWC students will travel to New Orleans, Louisiana. Students who are interested in the trip can contact Tim Tesmer, campus minister, to sign up.