During my STEP project, me and my group travelled to Guatemala to assist Constru Casa in building homes for those in need. During construction, we worked to mix and place concrete, move gravel, dirt, and cinder blocks, and connect with the local workers. During this trip, we also had the opportunity to experience the local atmosphere of Antigua. This included hiking up Pacaya Volcano, travelling to the lake, and taking a salsa dancing class.

One big change in my mindset that came from this experience was how I viewed foreign areas in terms of safety. One thing that came up a lot during group reflections during our trip was how different the area felt versus what we were warned it might be. Before coming, many group members noted that they had been told how unsafe Guatemala City and Antigua were. However, when we were there, we never felt unsafe at all. The whole community was extremely friendly, and people were out late into the night. With common sense safety precautions taken, nobody felt they were in danger.

Another thing that has changed in my mentality is how I view communities in developing countries. Oftentimes in American news, the hardships of areas like Antigua are the only things that are highlighted. All one hears about is the lack of clean water, crime, and poverty. However, this emphasis on shock value completely misrepresents what communities like this are like. The atmosphere in Antigua was very communal, with doors open and people being very open and welcoming to strangers. Everything in Antigua is bright-colored and exciting, with artwork that makes the stereotypical American town pale in comparison. I learned that to fully understand how beautiful and vibrant life is in areas of lower socioeconomic status, one must experience it firsthand.

The first experience that comes to mind in terms of experiencing the community in Guatemala came from taking a salsa class there. When we arrived, we were met with a man named Frank who was as welcoming as he was talented. The entire time we learned the dance routine, he helped us to feel comfortable and enjoy ourselves despite our low skill level. It was such a great experience that on our last day there, we went back and danced with Frank and his friends late into the night. They were all just excited to have people to enjoy dancing with. It was a memory that reminds me just how unique the culture of Antigua is – a nice contrast to what everyday life is often like in the US.

Another experience that taught me the beauty of Antigua and its people was working on the worksite throughout the week. Despite the language barrier, we coordinated quite well with the local Constru Casa construction workers. Many participants in our group who had some degree of Spanish aptitude had the change to get to know them better, talking about everything from home life to one’s favorite soccer team. A memory that stands out to me was discussing soccer with Edwin – one of the workers – and discovering we cheered for rival teams, both being jokingly outraged that one would dare support the other. We even got to share in music, playing everything from Bad Bunny to “Crank That” – a favorite of the construction crew. Having that change to bond solely over shared experience on the worksite truly stood out to me as unique.

Lastly, the beauty of Antigua stood out the most when we were simply relaxing in the town square at night. One night we sat and reflected next to the fountain, and a local girl came over to us. She was selling necklaces, but also was having fun talking with us – no doubt an excellent sales strategy. She picked a favorite in our group member Leeann, and ended up braiding her hair and giving her a huge hug. Seeing that moment of intimacy between two people who lived completely different lives was something special. My personal favorite moment of the trip, however, was when we were in the town square at night on the second-to-last day, reflecting on how great the experience has been while a saxophone player near us performed. It was a moment where we were all completely at ease, and felt extremely close with our whole group despite having only met a few days ago. It was a special environment, and seeing how quickly people grow closer is truly unique.

This trip will result in a significant change in my life due to how different I view connections between people now. Being entertained by one another or sharing interests is often thought to be the main catalyst bonds growing between people. However, during this trip, I think there is one thing that defines close relationships – shared experiences. Having the opportunity to do this with such an amazing group made it that much more special. We all keep in touch, and hopefully that will continue far into the future. People we met in Guatemala – our host Elvira, our bus driver Felipe, the workers from Constru Casa – are sorely missed by all of us, and that truly represents how quickly people grow close while experiencing life together. From now on, I think that’s what I will seek out – discovering amazing, impactful experiences with others from all walks of life.

For my STEP Signature Project, I went to the Big Island of Hawai’i with GIVE Volunteers. The nine days my fellow volunteers and I spent on the island were spent on various local project sites, with our work ranging from weeding to digging rocks to helping shear a sheep. Time outside of volunteer projects was used exploring the environment around us while guides taught lessons about the Hawaiian culture, land, and history.

The understanding I have of myself, assumptions I’ve made, and my view of the world all changed throughout the course of this project. The Big Island is a mostly rural island, and we did not have service for much of the time. Our accommodations were in screen cabins on a farm and then in shared rooms split between two houses, and the projects we worked on were all outdoors. The Hawaiian culture has a strong, beautiful relationship with the land, the water, and the environment around them. The physical immersion into nature combined with the atmosphere of the locals allowed me to deeply ground myself and experience clear reflection. We were encouraged to spend a few minutes every day practicing connecting with nature and ourselves. It would have been more of a challenge to acknowledge and accept vulnerability had I been alone. However, I was lucky enough to complete this trip with a group of wonderful guides and volunteers. The people surrounding me were equally open to experiencing new things and connecting with the surroundings. My volunteer community ultimately helped me take the opportunities that were available and make the most of them, returning home with profound realizations and feeling reset, grounded, and extremely grateful.

My assumptions of the world around me shifted throughout this project through the work we did, the people I met, and the relationships I formed. I’ve always known that given the chance to visit Hawai’i, I wanted to make sure it was in manner that was respectful to the locals, their culture, and came from a place of wanting to learn. Even knowing that this STEP Project was giving me that opportunity, the nine days there corrected many assumptions I didn’t even know I carried. In the back of my mind, I was worried the locals would just see us as tourists and not want us around. I could not have been more wrong. All the locals we met and worked alongside welcomed us with open arms, happy to spread their stories, culture, and knowledge. Each project partner we volunteered for were so grateful for our help, and seeing the immediate impacts of our work made it that much more fulfilling.

The volunteers I worked alongside, all down-to-earth and genuine people, encouraged more growth and acceptance than I have felt in a long time. Every night was concluded with the “Good Vibes” activity, where each guide and volunteer wrote three anonymous notes saying good vibes to anything or anyone from that day. One person would grab a note and read it aloud, passing the bowl onto the next person and we would go around one by one until they were all read. Ending the day with such a positive group activity was so wholesome and encouraged me to carry on the act of ending every day with good vibes and positivity now that I’m home.

We had three guides on during this project, and the relationships developed with each of them were huge in experiencing the changes and transformations previously mentioned. Between the three of them, I was pushed to get out of my head so much to appreciate my surroundings — the people, the land, and my relationship with nature. They helped forge friendships between myself and my fellow volunteers and created safe spaces to talk, grow, and connect. Each guide brought their own experiences and personalities to the project and allowed each volunteer to do the same. One of our excursions was a hike on a trail in a local park where one guide told us about the beautiful stories behind a few of the plants and explained uses of other plants. The guide’s excitement to share his own culture and knowledge was impactful alongside the actual information we learned. By having such open guides as role models, the people aspect of my STEP project became a huge factor leading to my transformations and changes.

Ultimately, my view of the world around me experienced the most significant transformation throughout the project. A large goal in choosing to volunteer with GIVE was to become a better “global citizen,” as GIVE references frequently on their website. Prior to this project, I was not sure what that meant. As it would turn out, everyone has their own definition, but the common idea is to recognize oneself as a being in a community larger than themselves and their own identities. Local Hawaiian communities live by community-based models. Learning about the ahupua’a, which is the subdivision of land from the mountain to ocean generally including one complete watershed and marine resource, embodied the community ideals. With all water running from the top of the mountain down throughout these subdivisions of land towards the ocean, what one person does effects everyone else below them. For everyone to succeed in this model, every person from the top to bottom matters. I am an Ohioan, a Buckeye, and an American citizen, but I am also a traveler, a human on this planet, and citizen of the world. Changing the view of what I see as my communities allowed me to realize how impactful small actions can be. The GIVE community encourages volunteers to continue spreading what we learned and gained on our trips when we come home. By sharing experiences and knowledge, one small action can lead to bigger, more significant results over time, whether it be encouraging one person to recycle or getting five people to buy local. Understanding this butterfly effect sort of mentality encourages me to be more mindful and in touch with the world around me.

These changes are both significant and valuable in my life in personal, professional, and academic matters. The personal development I underwent, while not realizing it at the time, can now be seen in my friendships, interpersonal relationships, and relationship with my own self. Effects of these transformations will have further effects with my academic goals, refueling my passion for sharing the beauty of our world via various art mediums. The fire of my ambition has been stoked. Going into the next semester, I feel more inspired to create pieces I am passionate about and proud of that move the viewer, invoking thought and feeling. Further out, my professional goals have been refocused and I was encouraged to deeply look inside and explore what I want to in my adult life. Being passionate and confident in my personal and academic self will encourage more effective networking professionally, further highlighting how the transformations and development undergone throughout this project matter and are of value. Words cannot do justice for how grateful I am towards STEP and GIVE Volunteers for this experience.

Last week, I went on an amazing service-learning trip with my fellow Ohio State students using my STEP funds. Without STEP, I would not have had this amazing opportunity. The 19 of us flew out of Columbus, Ohio, on May 6 early in the morning. We landed in Puerto Rico after our connecting flight later that day. While we were there, we helped with maintenance on our camp, helped paint and clean up homes that were affected by the hurricane, helped create a better trail in the national rainforest, assist at a tree nursery, and had fun at a Boy’s and Girl’s Club with students from kindergarten to our ages!

My understanding of myself definitely changed while on this trip as I realized how simple some people’s lives are, and that I want to strive to be that way as well. I also learned more about Puerto Rico, and how it isn’t a state nor a country, as well as the political problems it faces. This made me want to help out more or somehow make a difference, as it is hard for those affected by the hurricane to get government help due to the large number of people applying as well as the forms being in English. Learning from some nonprofit groups in Puerto Rico at the homes we were helping at also made me want to look into nonprofit work more, as you can make a difference and see that difference first hand. It felt really rewarding to be able to make such a large difference in someones life.

An event during my project that affected me was getting to speak to one of the homeowner’s of the house that we were painting and working on. The couple thanked us repeatedly and kept saying “God bless you”. It really stuck with me that I can help so many people by doing things like this trip. I really enjoyed being able to help someone else not in a monetary way but with my own physical work.

A relationship during my project that affected me was getting to know the girls on my. trip. Zebo, one of the girls, was super sweet and we are in the same major, so we talked about that a lot. She is a really great friend and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her more. She made me feel more relaxed and comfortable.

An activity that affected me was going to the Boy’s and Girl’s Club. The majority of the children did not speak English, so trying to communicate with them using my very low level of Spanish was hard. But, some did speak both and were able to help us all communicate. The children were sweet, and we played volleyball with them, as well as  Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch. I really enjoyed getting to bond with them and wish we could go back soon.

This change is important to my life because I learned of a new personal goal that I would be so excited to complete and continue doing. I am going to start to research nonprofits or companies that I can help locally to make a difference in others’ lives. I would love to go on another trip to do the same thing, and continue to help out locally. This really gets back into the service acts that I was able to do before covid happened, so I am glad that I had this amazing opportunity to help others and see a new place.

For my STEP signature project, I participated in the GIVE Volunteers Hawaii Program, where I had the opportunity to explore the fascinating culture and dynamic landscapes of the Big Island, while also volunteering in native forest rehabilitation, indigenous land stewardship, marine debris removal, and regenerative farming projects. I also explored the natural wonders of the land, participating in activities such as hikes across volcanic craters and listening to stories about indigenous lands, sacred aspects of the culture, and the history of the island.

My biggest takeaway from participating in GIVE Volunteers, and what ultimately changed my perspective on diet and agriculture, was how connected many native Hawaiians are to their land. Many participate in daily “kilo”, which essentially means to observe and be present with the surrounding nature and give thanks for the resources it provides. The majority of the local farmers have developed sustainable practices of living directly off their land. Witnessing the interconnectedness and cyclical nature between the people and their land completely altered my perspective on sustainability. Furthermore, it highlighted how uninformed I am about where the food I consumed comes from, who it benefits, and the environmental implications it may have. Since returning from the trip, I am working on educating myself to make more ecologically conscious decisions that benefit local communities.

Aside from learning about agriculture and sustainability, some of the transformative experiences included working with nonprofit organizations within the community and learning about the culture and history of the island. During our time volunteering, we worked at a local nonprofit, where one of the owners explained that COVID-19 devastated the local economy, sending many Hawaiian people into poverty. He continued to explain that the farm, despite losing money, worked tirelessly to donate all the produce, ensuring that these individuals had enough to eat during this time. I was touched by the farm’s mission, and it opened my eyes to how deeply community is intertwined within the culture.

For example, we also learned about ahupua’a systems, which is a traditional geological subdivision of land, typically extending from the mountains to the sea. Because all members of one system use the same water source, which flows from the top of the mountains down, respecting the land and having a sense of community is extremely important. Furthermore, if one person does not take care of the land, it affects everyone below them. It was a beautiful thing to see the extent to which the community uplifts and relies on each other for success. Seeing how deeply the community cares for one another has inspired me to get more involved in my hometown, as you see how much of a difference one person can make.

Lastly, learning about the history of the island and many native Hawaiian’s deep connections to the culture and land was an eye-opening experience. During our trip, we learned a lot about the history of Hawaii through our volunteer projects, documentaries, and group discussions. In recent years, a conflict arose between Hawaiian elders and government officials when elders began to peacefully protest the construction of the world’s largest telescope on the sacred land of Maunakea. In the end, they were able to prevent its construction. I was super touched when learning about the connection between the people and their land, and it inspired me to learn more about the history of where I’m from.

The GIVE volunteers project exceeded my expectations, completely altering my perspective on sustainability and providing me with important lessons on how to travel respectfully and responsibly. This is especially important to me because in the future, I hope to work in international healthcare and this program showed me how to be a better global citizen. Furthermore, I developed additional skills on how to learn and engage with the culture, land, and history of unfamiliar places in a respectful way.

In addition to culture, I believe that education about sustainability is more important than ever, as we continue to see how large, profit-driven industries exacerbate the effects of climate change. I learned that it is never too late to make a change, deeply believe that these lessons will stay with me forever. I am beyond grateful to both the STEP and Give Volunteers programs for providing me with such a transformative experience.

My service learning project was a BUCK-I-SERV trip to the Tampa Bay area to work alongside the Tampa Bay Aquatic Preserves for a week. The project mainly consisted of working on spoil islands managed by the preserve to clean up marine debris, remove invasive species and plant native species in the hopes of restoring and creating habitats on these islands.

My understanding of field work and habitat restoration completely changed during this experience. I underestimated how much work was dedicated to islands that were completely uninhabited and used only by the public for things like exploring, camping, and hiking. I also had no idea how much marine debris was really out there on these uninhabited islands. I realized that field work takes a lot of patience. I really appreciated how the people leading us encouraged us to give ourselves grace in the intense conditions, with no running water on the islands and intense heat throughout the day. I realized that I like field work because the tangible results of a day’s work are so fulfilling. The leaders of this trip also had great insight on education for the public on matters of environmental protection, and I came out of the trip with new ideas for how I can be more environmentally friendly.

The interactions with the staff that worked for Tampa Bay Aquatic Preserves were so helpful and worthwhile. My trip leader and the two women that we were working alongside were all three great role models for all of us on the trip. We had interesting conversations about honoring your body even in service work or paid labor. This kind of physical labor was mostly new to all of us. The work was extremely difficult at times, mostly because of the heavy lifting, digging, and rough conditions but it all felt worth it when a few fishermen, or other people enjoying the ocean or islands came to thank us.

This led us to talk about how we can show up more for our local habitats, and I learned about many local groups in Florida where the public comes and helps the government with big projects like the removal of invasive plants. Most people we came across were really curious to know what we were doing. Learning about how to effectively communicate with the public through kiosks, signage, and open, clear communication was very interesting. Through those conversations I learned about native and invasive species and why it is so valuable to be able to identify them for the sake of habitats nearby and sometimes even for human infrastructure. 

The activities and interactions we had outside of the work were also valuable. I made new friends, and gained some beneficial networking contacts. We had 6 girls on the trip, so the small roster helped us all to get to know each other really well and bond a lot. Since the work was so tiring, the down time we got was spent mostly enjoying the beach. It was nice to enjoy the ecosystems we were helping to protect and see other people enjoy them too. We saw a lot of scenic things in Tampa, and explored some of the cultural areas as well. 

These were all experiences that were valuable to my life because I really feel like I got a better idea of what I would like to do in the future. My major is environmental engineering, and this trip further confirmed my passion for keeping our water clean. Learning what field work looks like day to day, seeing the dedication from the workers, and seeing how much organization it really took will definitely inform my choices when looking into a job search. The workers also had a lot of insight on government work which was useful. Overall, the experience helped my academic and professional goals by giving me some real world experience. It was also just a lot of fun and got me out of my comfort zone and I really appreciated the experience.

1. Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project.

For my STEP Signature Project, I traveled to the lovely Big Island of Hawai’i with the GIVE Volunteers Program May 14^th through the 23^rd. During my nine days there, I, along with 22 other amazing individuals, performed a variety of different service projects such as assisting local farms with clean up and weed matting, harvesting rocks for traditional Hawaiian hales, and supporting local businesses and organizations. After our daily volunteer work was done, we would do our exploration activity for the day. These exploration activities included taking a walk through the Kalopa Native Forest, snorkeling in the clear coastal waters off a charter boat, hiking through Volcanoes National Park, and watching the sunset at the southernmost point of the U.S. One night, the group even harvested food and made a delicious farm-to-table dinner. Throughout this trip, we were also taught traditional Hawaiian culture and language practices.

2. What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project?

Before this trip, I will admit that I was a lot more oblivious to the impact that we have as individuals on the places we choose to visit, both negatively and positively. I ignorantly always assumed that just because you were visiting a place and eating or shopping at a few local businesses you were helping the surrounding community. This trip taught me that I was wrong. There is so much more involved when it comes to visiting a new place, especially Hawai’i. I learned that it is upon us, as travelers, to take the time to learn cultural practices, traditions, and some language as we venture to new places along with being respectful to the people native to that land and the land itself. Not only that, but take into account what establishments are actually helping the surrounding community flourish in comparison to the ones exploiting the local culture and land just for profit. Moving forward from this trip, anywhere I plan to travel will be met with the utmost respect and understanding of cultural values I can provide. GIVE’s mission statement is “travel with a purpose,” and I can definitely say that that statement will be adopted as my own, as well.

3. What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you?

So many things happened on this trip that led to my personal transformation mentioned above. First, I shall begin with our group discussions. Throughout the trip, we had multiple discussions, before, during, and after our daily service projects. All of which pertained to what we were doing, how we were helping, and what we could learn from and use in our future. A major underlying topic of all these discussions was Hawaiian culture. A particular discussion that has stuck with me since is one we had during one of our last nights on the trip. During this discussion, we were shown a few different videos about Hawai’i’s history and its history with the United States. This discussion was the most eye opening of all in relation to my transformation. I learned how disrespectful the United States has been to Hawai’i since before the islands were taken from the natives and made a state to this very day. Not only that, but how other Americans ignorantly travel to the islands with no regard for real native culture. This realization was heartbreaking and invoked a need for changing my perspective on how I perceive the places I travel and how I travel to them.

Another key factor that led to my transformation was the interactions I had with locals on the trip. The locals ranged between people met in passing in local shops to the people leading our community project for that day. One of the most heart touching interactions was with someone our travel group came to know as Uncle Wayne. A few others and I were standing outside of a coffee shop in Pāhala when we had been approached by him and he asked us what our group was there for and so forth. We explained to him that we were there with GIVE and we were doing service projects around the island with different local community partners. He was intrigued and we exchanged our group leader’s contact information with his. After he talked with our group leader, the next morning we went and helped him out at his farm that produces and distributes food to the community. We worked covering his farm fields with weed mats. After we were done with our work, Uncle Wayne tearfully spoke with us about how thankful he was for our help and beautiful it was that us nonnatives were appreciating the land and giving it the respect and love it deserved. While he was talking, I was so touched that I even teared up. This interaction made me think about the impact that we truly can have in a positive way when we go about traveling the respectful way.

Finally, a major part of my transformation was the relationships I created on this trip. I met so many like-minded individuals that I did not expect to. Everyone was beyond welcoming and understood that we were on this trip together and we were all there for similar reasons. This alone provided comfort that I wasn’t going through this transformation of thought alone. These relationships generated different discussions about our own cultures and values we held from where we all came from. A lot of us talked about how easy it was to see parallels about what we were learning and doing to our own lives back home and what we could change about them. Through learning about each other the way we did, we created lifelong bonds and changed each other’s perspective about many things. For that, I am beyond thankful.

4. Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life?

I find this transformation to be extremely valuable for my life in all aspects. Through my experience with the GIVE Volunteers Program, thanks to STEP, I have gained countless priceless information and experiences that I otherwise probably would not have. After I got home from my trip, I was sad that it was over. I then realized that I could use everything I learned on the trip back home and while I am at school at Ohio State. I learned the true importance of community and coming together to create positive change in not only the world we live, but the world future generations shall live in as well. This trip made me discover a passion I never fully realized was there. Moving forward, I would love to go on future volunteer trips and continue spreading knowledge I have learned while continuing to learn as I go.

My STEP Signature Project was an immersive, dual-focused program based in Sedona, Arizona. The initiative comprised two core aspects: providing service through trail restoration work within the Red Rock District, and an adventure component which was an eight-day backpacking and river expedition through the Grand Canyon. The trail restoration work was necessitated by severe flooding that had drastically damaged the pre-existing trails, while the expedition was planned with an emphasis on adhering to Leave No Trace principles to ensure the conservation of the environment we were traversing.

Throughout the process of completing this project, I experienced a profound shift in my understanding of both myself and my place within the wider world. The vastness of nature and the intricacies of its balance became deeply etched into my consciousness. As a Biomedical Engineering student, I am usually concerned with microscopic cells and tiny alterations within the human body that can affect health and well-being. However, being in the heart of such an expansive environment made me realize that I am a minute component in a much larger ecosystem. This perspective allowed me to reframe some of my personal worries regarding academics and my future; I saw them in a different light and felt a relief from the pressure I typically impose upon myself.

Additionally, my previous assumptions about my personal environmental impact and the history of land utilization were also radically changed. I was forced to confront the uncomfortable truths about the historical mistreatment of Native American populations and their lands, leading to a transformation in my worldview.

The pivotal transformative moments in my STEP Signature Project arose from distinct instances in both components of the program. During the trail restoration work, I was able to interact with hikers from all walks of life who expressed gratitude for our efforts. This direct appreciation made me comprehend the importance of my actions, and I was gratified to see the tangible difference we made within a few days. The realization that even small contributions could significantly impact the environment instilled a new sense of responsibility within me. I realized that as individuals, we all hold a degree of accountability for preserving the environment.

Subsequently, the adventure aspect of the project allowed me to immerse myself into the environment I had just contributed to restoring. The vast expanse of the Grand Canyon and the tranquility of the wilderness offered a serene setting for introspection, allowing me to reevaluate my personal beliefs and values. As I ventured further into the heart of nature, my respect and awe for the world around me grew exponentially.

Additionally, learning about the history and culture of Native American tribes in the area served as a critical learning experience. Realizing their deep-rooted connection to the land and how this connection has been systematically eroded due to colonialism and political machinations forced me to reassess my understanding of land and resource usage, offering a more nuanced view of my role within this system.

The transformation that this project sparked within me holds tremendous value for my life. Academically, as a Biomedical Engineering major, I have gained a more holistic perspective on the interconnectedness of all life forms, understanding that my work cannot exist in a vacuum and must consider larger environmental contexts. This appreciation for nature and our role within it complements my studies, providing a broader lens through which to view my academic pursuits.

On a personal level, this transformation has resulted in a heightened appreciation for the outdoors and a profound sense of calm that I find when immersed in nature. It has motivated me to regularly set aside time for outdoor activities, allowing me to balance the stresses of academic life with periods of calm and introspection. This newfound connection with the environment has also deepened my social responsibility, leading me to engage more actively in conservation efforts and advocate for indigenous rights.

Professionally, the experience has shown me the possibilities of incorporating my passion for the environment into my career. It has inspired me to consider how I might integrate principles of environmental conservation into my work as a biomedical engineer, perhaps developing sustainable medical technologies or advocating for environmental considerations within the biomedical field. The lessons I have gleaned from this project will act as a guide for my future decisions, reminding me of the importance of our world’s interconnectedness and the urgency of preserving it for future generations.