How i got involved with SHH
Coming into Appalachian State as a Freshman, I knew that I wanted to get involved with different clubs. I wanted to be a part of something that I was passionate about, and had a true interest in. I meandered my way through the obstacle of tables at the club expo, hearing about different clubs and putting my name and email down on various lists. Students Helping Honduras was one list among many. I later received an email about the first club meeting, and decided to go. Honduras seemed like such a specific location. I had always wanted to travel though, and having never left the country before, I figured, "Why not start with Honduras?" Something that especially made me want to go was that the trip was service-oriented and we had the opportunity to fundraise for our own trip, making it relatively inexpensive.
Winter break came along, and six of us from Appalachian State's chapter took off for Honduras. I never could have imagined that 8 days later, I would have experienced one of the best and most influencial weeks of my life. During the trip, our group, along with students from other universities across the U.S., and local Honduran community members, worked together to help build a middle school in the village of Senora Guadalupe, as their current school only had grades up to fifth grade. We formed lots of assembly lines, used to pass cinderblocks and buckets of cement and dirt. It was hard work, but so rewarding to watch our hard work pay off. Meanwhile, we also had delicious Honduran cuisine. The first day, we split into small groups, and went inside people's homes where we made and ate baleadas with them (yum!). We also made so many meaningful connections with each other, but also with the community, and the children who were going to be attending the school and were helping to build the school alongside us.
Though there was lots of hard work, there was also lots of fun and free time. One night we went into town and learned how to salsa, and we spent our last day on the beach, which was off the coast of the Carribean! I should also mention that escaping from Boone during the winter and leaving to 80+ degree weather, wasn't a complaint I had. While I was there, I also learned so much about what is happening in Honduras and why what we are doing is making an impact. We learned about the violence that is occurring and about the gangs and their devastating effect on the country.
After going to Honduras, I gained knowledge about what is happening there and why something needs to be done, but I also now had faces and names of children and community members that are being personally affected by what is occurring. I'm now more passionate than ever, and am so excited to be part of such an incredible community that is making a difference in the lives of others.
Winter break came along, and six of us from Appalachian State's chapter took off for Honduras. I never could have imagined that 8 days later, I would have experienced one of the best and most influencial weeks of my life. During the trip, our group, along with students from other universities across the U.S., and local Honduran community members, worked together to help build a middle school in the village of Senora Guadalupe, as their current school only had grades up to fifth grade. We formed lots of assembly lines, used to pass cinderblocks and buckets of cement and dirt. It was hard work, but so rewarding to watch our hard work pay off. Meanwhile, we also had delicious Honduran cuisine. The first day, we split into small groups, and went inside people's homes where we made and ate baleadas with them (yum!). We also made so many meaningful connections with each other, but also with the community, and the children who were going to be attending the school and were helping to build the school alongside us.
Though there was lots of hard work, there was also lots of fun and free time. One night we went into town and learned how to salsa, and we spent our last day on the beach, which was off the coast of the Carribean! I should also mention that escaping from Boone during the winter and leaving to 80+ degree weather, wasn't a complaint I had. While I was there, I also learned so much about what is happening in Honduras and why what we are doing is making an impact. We learned about the violence that is occurring and about the gangs and their devastating effect on the country.
After going to Honduras, I gained knowledge about what is happening there and why something needs to be done, but I also now had faces and names of children and community members that are being personally affected by what is occurring. I'm now more passionate than ever, and am so excited to be part of such an incredible community that is making a difference in the lives of others.