"During this trip, I learned about what I want to do in the future! I had such an amazing time working at a community level, I decided I want to pursue something similar with my career. A big thing that I learned about working with others is knowing when to take charge on things versus when to accept a job and do a good job regardless of how much you enjoy it. I found this helped me work efficiently and occasionally help the group as a whole

I think I came in to the program looking for a cool experience during spring break, but ended up working for the sake of doing something good for the community. It also put into perspective how much work there is out there to do, and I realized the concerted effort that it often takes to solve those issues. I've learned a bit about agriculture and land use philosophies, and working for the farm and land trust helped put what I've learned into perspective and learn from each partner about their philosophies regarding the land use, especially in an area so affected by disaster and displacement."

"This trip was a really introspective journey for me. A lot of times I get stuck in the day to day work that goes into being a college student and forget that there is a whole world out there with problems greater than an exam or another homework assignment. This trip allowed me to discover that I really enjoy learning about different stories that people have to share and what hurdles life has put them through. Through this trip, I also learned what it takes to collaborate with a large team. I went into ASB not knowing anybody in my group, but through communication and collaboration with others I broke out of my shell and grew very close with the other students. I learned that it's important to ask questions, and admit when you're unsure about something.

This experience allowed me to engage in a community that I didn't even know needed help. Working closely at the community gardens and with the land trust gave me the opportunity to reflect on if my community back home needed help. I learned that service is an important aspect of character building and is something that I aspire to do outside of this trip. I learned a lot about what it takes to takes to work with new groups of people and get out of my comfort zone. These skills are definitely going to carry over into not just my academic career but my life beyond college."

"This trip was an awesome introspective journey for working with people I had never met before. I never thought I would become friends with people just for going on a mission trip but when you pack college students in a van it sometimes happens! We all had different mindsets and individual goals for this trip but we all wanted an end result of helping the community down in Biloxi, MS. This is something that I had never considered before and was very helpful for me to learn for the future. Differences are all around us and within us but wanting to make an impact for a local community is just one of those things that allows others to join together in a more team oriented mindset.

This trip also reinforced my passion for service and how such a little commitment can make such a massive impact. I've always known that service is something that drives and encourages me to do better and it was fantastic to be surrounded by others who thought similarly. This is an experience I will not forget through its challenging moments and all it has oriented me in a career direction towards service."

"I learned that I really like working with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Getting to know perspectives of a diverse group of people made the trip a very fun and enriching experience. One of my biggest takeaways from this trip is that the key to having a great time in a team environment is that one should always be willing to make compromises for the better of the team/group. To know when to step down from certain tasks/job is a great skill to have.

This experience reinforced my belief that doing social service and community work is the most rewarding job one could possibly undertake. Through this trip, I have become even more determined to contribute to the field of Aerospace Engineering and make some significant contribution to the scientific world. I have learned how to work with a diverse group of people and how such a group can quickly come up with innovative solutions by working together. Doing community service and working with people in areas affected by disasters has been one of the best experiences in my college life so far."