Many college students look forward to spring break as a time for relaxing at home or traveling to tropical vacation spots. 

But for 30 Boston University students, spring break was a chance to volunteer, whether they were teaching middle school students about finances and college in North Carolina, renovating an arts center in Maine or monitoring wildlife in a national forest in Illinois.

As a part of BU Alternative Service Breaks program, students travelled to five locations across the country to volunteer for and support local communities.

BU junior Rinat Rizvanov led the group that traveled to Louisburg, N.C., where he and other students partnered with Terrell Lane Middle School to tutor middle schoolers.

“I always loved teaching, and I saw the school was in the middle of nowhere,” Rizvanov said. “I felt it would be really cool to learn about these people living there and to … broaden their horizons and also broaden my horizons.”

Rizvanov and his fellow volunteers led presentations about BU and college life, tutored Terrell Lane students on math, science and English and also painted a mural together at the end of the week. 

In Memphis, BU volunteers partnered with Serve 901, a local service organization that coordinates a broad range of volunteering opportunities from running a “diaper ministry” to  helping lead a “spring jam” for a local Christian center.

BU junior Nahlya Hall said she chose Memphis because of its historically large African American population and because its “southern sweetness” reminded her of visiting her grandmother in South Carolina.

“I wanted to come in this year doing the research, making sure that I’m prepared in any way that I can and that I don’t bring any biases,” Hall said.

Even though it was her third year doing the ASB program, Hall said the trip taught her that community service isn’t an activity that guarantees a pat on the back — but that silent work can still be rewarding.

Other students, like BU junior Stella Lavallee, participated in the ASB program for the first time. Lavallee led the group that traveled to Harrisburg, Ill. to work for the Shawnee National Forest. 

While there, BU volunteers helped with trail maintenance and wildlife monitoring during the day and spent their nights exploring the local area, Lavallee said. 

They also participated in educational activities, learning about the history of Indigenous peoples who once lived in the forest.

“Going somewhere I hadn’t been, meeting people I didn’t know existed and seeing them really passionate about what they’re doing … gives you hope in the world and in humanity,” Lavallee said. “It just reminds you that what you’re doing really does matter.”

The trip also expanded the perspective of BU senior Diego Feijoo, a leader of the group that went to Orland, Maine to support H.O.M.E., Inc. in staffing a food pantry, renovating the community’s arts center and even making art to sell for the project.

Feijoo said it was interesting for him to “see how a rural community in Maine shares many of the same issues as Boston.”

BU junior and Feijoo’s co-leader, Diana Gamboa, said the experience challenged her preconceived notions about homelessness and community service. 

“I definitely had a lot of assumptions challenged in Maine: what it means to serve an underserved community, what it means to work with an organization that might be affiliated with the church,” she said. “It gave me a new perspective into how service is done in different areas.”

Engagement in “ethical service” is one of the ASB program’s primary goals, said Margaret Babson, director of the Student Leadership and Impact Center, which runs the spring break program. 

Ethical service is a form of service that emphasizes “doing work in solidarity” with the community, which in turn “encourages learning and engagement,” according to the SLIC website. 

“This is not just a vacation,” Babson said. “This is really a service opportunity, so you’re not just being dropped down somewhere. We’re being really aware of how we’re engaging with communities.” 

The ASB program, which began in 1987, recently became a part of the newly formed SLIC and is currently run by Babson and Christopher Won. They manage everything from their long-standing connections with the communities to transportation and housing for students.

“You will learn so much about yourself and what’s important to you, and it keeps you positive,” Lavallee said. “There are a lot of dark things in this world. Just be a part of something good.”