NC State University

by Jessica Gil

I am very passionate about serving, and I want to be able to share my passion with other individuals. Becoming an Alternative Service Break team leader has given me the opportunity to do just that. Although there has been an immense amount of paper work and planning, it only makes the anticipation for the trip that much greater.

I would have to say my passion for service comes from my family. My grandparents grew up in Havana, Cuba and did not have much at all. They had no money, and seven other brothers and sisters, yet somehow they made everything work. Most of us in this country have enough to survive, yet we still complain. I must admit I can be one of those people at times.

I look at serving as a way to give back, and I enjoy giving when I am able. It is very rewarding, but not just that—it’s a learning experience as well. Service is a way to give people hope, joy, love, and friendship when they need it the most, because although they may glow on the outside, they may be struggling on the inside. So, even if you only make an impact for one minute, that one minute could have changed someone’s life.

I took on this leadership position with hopes to inspire others about service, I was very persistent about becoming a team leader because I knew I had the qualities to take on every responsibility that came with being a team leader. I would say within the first month that was challenged. I have certainly grown personally through this experience. I have had to learn that sometimes it is okay to be wrong as long as you are able to admit to it. There is not one person on this earth that knows everything, and no one is expected to know everything.

William Langland said, “Patience is a virtue.” He was not kidding. Before this experience I thought I was patient and kind—I honestly would have used those adjectives to describe myself. Looking back, and even now, I would not and could not use patience as an adjective to describe myself. If anything, so far, this leadership position has taught me to reflect then react. So many of us think if we “jump the gun,” things will get resolved quicker. I have learned that, for me, that is not the case. Taking a step back, assessing the situation, then taking action is a more realistic way of taking on life.

This trip has been on my mind since May 2007 when I received my leadership position. Now that it is almost here, I feel like I still have not done enough to prepare, but I am excited for my team members to experience everything this trip has to offer. As a participant, I absolutely cannot wait to get down there and start our projects. I have been blessed that in all of my travels, I have had one person who has impacted my life tremendously. Last year, when I went to the Dominican Republic for Habitat for Humanity through CSLEPS, I worked on the site with a man by the name of Casi Loco which translates ‘half crazy.’ I didn’t know his real name, and to be honest, even his fellow workers didn’t know his name. Casi Loco had a tumor on the left side of his nose so big that his left eye was virtually useless. Casi Loco and I became best of buds mixing cement, filling buckets full of cement, transporting water, etc. That tumor didn’t stop him, and I admired him for that. These are the kind of people that I am blessed to encounter in my travels, and it has become a ritual that gives me something to look forward to every time.

Some advice for anyone on this trip, I can’t say it enough, BE FLEXIBLE. It is so important that everyone be flexible because you just never know what will happen and sometimes there is no way to be prepared. One can just hope for the best.