Thursday Takes an Unexpected Turn

As I woke up at 6:15 on Thursday, I was expecting a long day ahead of me because Mr. May had warned us to expect a later night. But, I was still definitely excited for the second to last day left at KIPP, we still had much to do and many goals to fulfill.
When we first arrived at school, we were told to ignore the buzz of the oncoming snowstorm- it tends to take the focus off of learning. We went about the usual business of making bulletin boards, grading papers, and interacting with the students and staff at KIPP GCP. I was able to begin the day by tutoring a ninth grade student in Algebra as he had missed the last two days. I enjoyed seeing him actually complete the skill and solve problems using the distance formula by himself. But more than that, I learned a lot about him and how he is dealing adjusting to KIPP and the workload there. I later worked with Ya and Nicole grading Algebra quizzes that were quite tedious. Mr. Bills told us that they usually take him five hours to grade... only two class periods!!!!
I then went to eat lunch with the middle school students and sat with the eighth grade for the first time. Correy and I were a little nervous, but we sat down with a group of students and ended up really connecting with them! They were all excited to get to go to the high school next year, because apparently it's less strict compared to the middle school. My favorite part was, once again, having them interact with us normally and comfortably, and also see them act very respectfully and ask a lot of good, thoughtful questions- even though we had been surrounded by this behavior for a week, it continues to impress me every time! When I told them I was majoring in Journalism, one of the boys at the table freaked out and got so excited and told me he wanted to do that too, and we discussed that for a while, which was really so cool.
And then, as many of us were planning to take on the next task, we had a quick meeting where Meghan and our Trip Leaders informed us of the oncoming snowstorm (100% snow with 3-5 inches expected) that was supposed to hit Gaston that night. There was worry about getting snowed in at the Landers house and it was very likely that school was going to be cancelled for Friday. After discussions and calls back to the AB office in College Park, it was decided that it would be safest to leave ASAP... :(
We quickly finished a Spanish bulletin board and tried to squeeze in all our goodbyes. The teachers had been planning a surprise dinner for us- that's why we were supposed to plan for a late night- which was so sweet, ESPECIALLY considering all they do already. The fact that they were going to take the time to thank us and spend time outside of school with us really meant a lot (even though it ended up that we couldn't go). We each received our very own KIPP shirt as we unexpectedly headed out.

Back at the Landers house we packed and cleaned up, after Ann Marie and I put some brownies in the oven. Turns out, it was Rachel's birthday, so we celebrated and sang with the brownies before we said our goodbyes. The Landers were so hospitable and loving and giving, they could not have been better hosts and I think we all will miss them!
We stopped off at KIPP one more time to drop off some thank you brownies to the teachers, and then hit the road.

It was definitely a shock and disappointment to leave early, but the snow did end up coming, so that made the decision a little easier to settle on Friday morning. I am still in awe of the commitment and dedication of the teachers at KIPP, the drive, maturity, and motivation of the students at KIPP, and the family community that they together have established. It was amazing to be able to talk college with seventh graders and seniors, and watch the students appreciate their education and be proud of their work. There were so many highlights throughout the week- I had a fabulous time getting to know my fellow AB-ers, but also learning and engaging with the Gaston community. Thank you to everyone who made this possible and were a part of it, MUCH LOVE (I'm waggling my fingers at you all)!!! I hope to be back in May for the 5k run for KIPP!
<3 Grace

Wonderful Wednesday :D

Chemia

My experience at KIPP thus far has been beyond amazing! I was an education major in previous years, but decided to switch over to family and consumer sciences because I want to be a social worker in the future. While there are many things that remind me of my student teaching days (the long days, bag lunches, grading papers), there are also just as many things that I have done that I never would have even imagined that I would do in a million years.  Just today, I helped lead a chemistry review (considering the fact that I had to take Chemistry twice at UMD, I felt really proud of myself)!

In addition, making connections with the students has also made me extremely happy. Contrary to popular belief, I’m actually very shy…so being in a position where making conversation with KIPP students is a big part of the trip has helped me come out of my shell.  The early mornings have been rough, but once I get to the building I am immediately energized by all of the smiles and positive energy I get from the students and staff.  I’m pretty sure some of them are wondering why the girl with the big hair and sparkly shoes is so happy all the time, but I don’t know what else I could possibly do. I’ll be so sad to leave such a great place and I really hope I can keep in touch with everyone I’ve made contact with! J

Correy

Today the list of daily tasks was just as long as all the other days. Every day when we think we have completed everything possible that could be done at the school a new task arises! Our work during the day never seems to slow down! Today, in addition to grading and making fabulous bulletin boards, I got to beautify some classrooms and meet with some new high school teachers.  Some of the trip members even got to go on short field trips with some of the teachers to local shops in town.  

After class we attended the middle school basketball game. Both the girls and boys teams played and the cheerleaders were there as well.  We cheered and clapped and some of us even tried to “coach” the team.  It was amazing to see all the teachers come and cheer on their students! The whole game experience really showed how close knit the entire KIPP community is. GO PRIDE! 

Tremendous Tuesday!

Hey all - happy Tuesday!

We are definitely hitting our stride at KIPP this week.  All of us are starting to feel very comfortable in the school.  We're making friends with the students, really connecting with the teachers, and today we even got to sit down with the Executive director and Principals of the primary, middle and high schools.   We got to see a perspective of people in charge and how things work on the inside.  Two of the women have even been with KIPP: GCP since the beginning (2001)! It was incredibly informative and enlightening - especially because they gave a lot of good personal and professional advice!

I (Meghan) don't have too much to report... I literally spent the entire day grading the 7th grade science morning work! Even though it was tedious, I really enjoyed taking the time to thoroughly read the assignments, answer questions the students wrote on the papers, respond to comments, and correct wrong answers.  I know this is the type and amount of feedback a KIPP teacher would give, and I really wanted to meet those high expectations.  I definitely have a deep appreciation and respect for what these teachers do on a daily basis - they must be superheros or something!  I'm looking forward to the rest of the week, but it also feels like time is running out!

Hey, it's Jackie.  I have had an incredible experience at KIPP every day, but today was probably my favorite so far.  For the past few days I've endlessly been grading papers for various teachers (which can be pretty entertaining when fifth graders don't know answers and decide to get creative) as well as some other miscellaneous tasks wherever needed.  Grading has given me such an appreciation for the work these teachers (and all teachers) put into their jobs.  About four of us were grading Mr. Zhao's (who's an incredibly awesome teacher) papers and quizzes for hours and still could not get them done in one day.  Anyways, today was especially fun because I got to spend almost the whole day over at the elementary school in Ms. V's kindergarten class, observing her teaching and helping the children.  Interacting with the kids was absolutely amazing.  They are the most loving bunch I have ever met and after a couple hours I was receiving endless hugs and already felt part of the KIPP family.  And as Mrs. Cook-Dwight told us today, by the time these kids reach the fifth grade, they will be two grade levels ahead, which shows how hard they are working, even at such a young age!

As the day goes on, we are awaiting a delicious grilled cheese meal which we will follow with our daily reflection.  Tonight we are also going to watch "Waiting for Superman," a documentary that highlights the problems that children face in areas where a quality public education is unavailable.  This will be a great way to learn more about how incredible the program we have been working with for the past week is for the students there.

Alsooooo... Meghan and I(Jackie), with the help of many others (shout-out to Olivia!) are on 500-piece puzzle #2 and Meghan is very proud that her puzzle skills have increased.  It's also really cool to see how so many of us (Nicole, Ann-Marie, Chris, etc.) are teaching full lessons in the class and taking time now, outside of our school time, to work on the planning.

This is such a hardworking group of people and I can't wait to see how much more we can accomplish in the few days we have left and we all hope to leave a lasting impact on the school, even in our short time here.

~Meghan and Jackie :)

BEST MONDAY IN A WHILE

Hello!

Despite being Monday, everyone felt energized from the relaxing weekend for a hard day of work at KIPP. Everyone seemed to divide up the tasks ranging from the usual grading and teaching, to planning  actual teaching lessons, for later in the week! Ann Marie, Ali, and Idara will all be teaching tomorrow. Ann Marie is teaching 4 classes of 6th grade Civil Rights History (wow, good luck!) and Ali and Idara are co-teaching a high school Spanish class (although they seem a bit conflicting over teaching the class...in a loving AB manner of course).

I (Nicole) did a lot of math today! In addition to talking to Mrs. Coke about teaching 7th grade pre-algebra later in the week, I graded 5th and 9th grade math assignments. I try to give students thorough feedback about where they made errors and how they can improve their work. Chris and I had lunch with 7th graders today. While quiet at first, they warmed up and told us about their music tastes and favorite, and least favorite, teachers at KIPP. In addition, I helped Mr. Bills to "beautify" his classroom, sprucing up the bulletin board inside the classroom and making the room more aesthetically appealing. I ended the day by helping with the usual Algebra is Power class from 4-5pm that I have been doing since the first day. I really enjoy working one-on-one with 9th graders in this class, answering their math questions and encouraging hard work at the end of the day.

Ya here, it's great to finally blog and contribute to this diary of our adventures in Gaston. It's been wonderful here the last few days, and I've definitely become more comfortable with the other participants and students and teachers at KIPP. Shout out to Grace and Chemia for their creative bulletin making skills. Meghan and I also spray glued new year's resolutions inside the student lockers. The cool thing about their lockers is that they're lock-less, in order to build trust among the students.

When the school day ended, we met with two KIPP moms who shared their experiences with us. It was clear that at KIPP, teachers and parents communicate extensively to better the students' education. For example, Mr. May calls each individual parent the summer prior to the school year to start building the relationship between parent and teacher. It was inspiring to see two mothers who were truly invested in their children's success and how that was made possible through a KIPP education.

THEN. We came home and vegged out! We ate a taco/burrito dinner made by lovely Olivia and Aditi, followed promptly by a thorough discussion on our day and how we could continue our relationship with KIPP after returning to College Park. Some awesome suggestions were to start a pen-pal exchange with interested students and coordinate some college info sessions/counseling for the high schoolers. We hope to continue learning the next few days, especially when we meet several KIPP administrators tomorrow! Look forward to more exciting blog posts in the days to come.

Love,
Nicole and Ya :)

Sunday Funday

Today was our only "free" day on the trip (and chance to actually sleep in).  But just because it was a free day didn't mean we had take advantage of our beautiful location.  After catching up on much-needed sleep, our group drove to nearby Roanoke Rapids to walk an old canal trail.  The weather was 75 and sunny (much better then dreary Baltimore), the perfect weather for a fun hike through the woods.  It was a great time to reflect on the activities of the last few days and spend time getting to know each other better.  Even though our group bonded very quickly, our new friendships have grown stronger with each passing day, to the point that we have become a family.  

We are so blessed to be spending the week on beautiful Lake Gaston and what better activity to do today than boating on the lake? After the hike, we all piled into the Landers's boat to further enjoy the beautiful day. As we are a service trip, we all have service on the mind and with the Polar Bear Plunge coming up, some of us decided to test the waters of the lake. Ali, Grace, and I (Gretchen) were the 3 brave souls who jumped right into the (pushing) 40 degree waters. Boy, was it freezing! Never in my life have I been so cold, the second we jumped in my entire body froze and Grace and I thought we wouldn't make it the 5 feet to the dock and our towels! A major shoutout to Ali for swimming 50 feet and for her champion dive! Although thinking of the lake still sends me shivers, I wouldn't have stayed in the boat for anything- what a great experience! Every day amazes me with the new and unforgettable opportunities: the beautiful location, our spectacular group, and the inspirational children we have the privilege of seeing every day. 

After dinner, we sat around and reflected on the activities of the last few days.  A hallmark of this trip has been the unbelievable positivity shown by our group.  Everyone in the group gave a shout-out, thanking our hosts, the drivers, the cooks, etc.  Often on these trips, not everyone in the groups connects, or cliques begin to form  and some participants are excluded.  That has not been the case for the Gaston trip.  Our group bonded instantly and though we like to pick on each other sometimes, we all really care for one another. 

There are a lot of ways to describe KIPP, but I think it can best be summed up in four simple words "Work Hard, Be Nice".  I think this phrase perfectly describes our group.  Everyone in the group works incredibly hard while at KIPP helping the teachers and tutoring the students and does it with an overwhelmingly positive attitude.  It has been an incredibly enriching experience to work along such great people, and we are happy to be along for the ride. (and to have taken the plunge! Haha!)

SATURDAYYY WOOOO

Luckily today we were able to catch a few extra Zzz's. Our day started at around 9 am when we got to the Habitat for Humanity store in Roanoke Rapids. There was a big warehouse run by Mr. Sherman full of used items (furniture, books, and other KNICK KNACKS). This warehouse is run by volunteers who contribute to organizing and selling the various items. All the money made in the store goes into building the Habitat homes.

We worked with Mr. Sherman and the Landers to rearrange and organize the merchandise. There was a lot of heavy lifting and tidying up involved. Among the 16 of us, we were able to accomplish quite a lot! GO TEAM!

Overall, while it might not seem like much, our contributions to Habitat made us feel very accomplished. The Landers and Mr. Sherman were extremely grateful to us, and to be able to help out such a wonderful cause was an amazing experience. It made us realize how much is involved in the building of these homes. It involves much more than gathering materials and putting houses together. A large amount of fundraising is required, and all the work that goes into the store is accomplished through volunteers. We are very grateful to have been given this opportunity to help out such a worthy cause that is doing great things for others.

So.... after working and ambushing McDonalds with the 15 of us chicks (and Chris), we headed back home. We were able to catch the Ravens/Broncos game which was an upset for some and a victory for others. Then we ATTEMPTED to get down at a local hoedown at club Chattahoochie. Unfortunately, the club was closed, so instead some of us learned how to line dance at the house. YEE HAW

Much love ya'll,
Stephanie & Aditi

Fride! (Friday Pride)

We definitely came into the day with more enthusiasm knowing that the sun would still be up when we left at 3:30.  Even though we had a new task list, we strutted into that workroom with a purpose.  Our day started strong as we finished all the previous day's work, and we were not as daunted by the flood of new teacher requests.  (It rained today.)

Ann Marie has become the official bulletin board-maker for the fifth grade, so she began her second board with magKIPPicent ideas in mind.  There will be confetti, so get excited.

Anjuli truly has a newfound appreciation for all teachers.  SHOUT-OUT to fifth grade math teacher Ms. Vacha!  Three interns spent lit-rally six hours grading one assignment, and Anjuli couldn't believe how one person could possibly tackle all that in one weekend while remaining sane.

Fifth graders just finished a project on Night John, a book about slavery, and a few brave KIPP-sters took the hipster route and made plays, songs, and videos rather than traditional posters.  These students proudly presented their creations to their teammates during Pride Time, and received a lot of Pride Love and Support.

The Class of 2018 (seventh graders) enjoyed a presentation by fellow interns Chris, Chemia, and Meghan about life at the University of Maryland.  They posed thoughtful questions on everything from school traditions to how to keep working hard and being good.  The most interesting part for us was when they talked about how they want to be surgeons, veterinarians, and engineers.  The teachers' high expectations of them clearly translated into impressive career goals.

At the end of the day we were privileged enough to sit in on professional development meetings held by all three schools.  We were inspired by the positive attitudes the teachers carried from the classroom straight to the conference room despite it being the end of a long week.  They all work hard, but they all work hard together, and this sense of family is part of what makes KIPP such a wonderful place to learn for students, interns, and teachers.

Love,
Anjuli and Ann Marie

Dia Uno

There were so many thoughts running through my head all day today. My day began at six a.m and as I am writing this post at almost 11 p.m, I am preparing for the long day ahead of me tomorrow. It genuinely baffles me how focused, polite, determined, and well-rounded all of the kids at KIPP Gaston are. I just spoke with one of my friends at home over the phone and as I was telling him about the strict discipline procedures implemented on the children, especially in the middle school and he was astonished; as am I even when I am merely explaining how the school is run. 

To think that these students spend 9 hours in school a day makes me regret how much I complained about six and a half hour school days when I was in middle and high school. And not even the long school days, but the hours some of the students travel in order to attend school seems absurd as well. Essentially these kids devote their entire weeks, Monday through Friday, to their education. It makes me wonder what their lives are like outside of KIPP and if the kids even do anything enjoyable, outside of school. 

I was very impressed with the teaching quality I observed across the board. The observations today really gave me a much higher appreciation for teachers and how much work they put into their jobs, especially the teachers at KIPP. It seems that all of the attention and motivation the teachers place on the students have the ability to truly shape them as people. I have never in my life seen so many mature, and well developed children and young adults, especially in a school setting. Coming from an arguably "rowdy" public schooling environment, it was a huge shock to me to see such a well behaved group of students. It is very interesting to compare and contrast schools and backgrounds.

I can not wait for the rest of this week and the experience we are all about to endure. More to come :)

- xoxo Ali Bee xoxo

It's only the beginning :)

Today was our first official day at GCP! After some brief observation, we got straight to it with completing tasks on our master list. I had the privilege of grading sixth grade math....which I thought would go rather smooth, until I found out the teacher forgot his key. Me and Grace spent literally two hours doing order of operations, percentages, adding fractions, etc. It's pretty impressive math for sixth graders, if you ask me. I also had the chance of tutoring a student in ninth grade algebra, and I found that to be very rewarding. As a Special Education major, today gave me a better idea of what I would be best at as an educator, which is working one-on-one with a student.

On top of working at Kipp, it is also great getting to know the other trip members. We bonded over fifth grade book reports and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. However, being introverted I often found myself being socially exhausted, but NO WORRIES--I am still having the time of my life. Tomorrow, Ali and I will be cooking spaghetti for dinner....get ready for taste of Little Italy.

Ciao...for now,

Idara <3

Anjuli Jain, Trip Participant

Hey everyone! 

I'm Anjuli and I am a junior studying Neurobiology and Physiology with a minor in Human Development. I am from Silver Spring, MD which is in Montgomery County. My dream is to become a pediatrician, so after I graduate I plan to attend Medical School. I love working with kids, as I am the oldest of 3 siblings, so I am really looking forward to our trip to Gaston tomorrow. 

I have briefly worked with kids during my trip to Honduras two summers ago through UMD's Global Medical Brigades program. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I was able to help set up a medical clinic in an underprivileged community and provide much needed medical assistance to those in need. I know this is a completely different trip with a completely different focus, but I hope to get the same thrill I got when helping those that needed it the most. I am really excited to getting to know all of you! See you soon :)

Correy Heesen, Trip Leader

Hi! 

I'm Correy Heesen and I'm currently a junior crim major from outside of Philadelphia. I'm also a public policy masters student here at the university of Maryland.

I am currently trying to decide what area I want to specialize in. But I am hoping to pursue non profit management.

Last year I went on the Dominican Republic spring break trip focusing on education, which definitely inspired me to participate this year as a trip leader for rural education.

I am a member of the alpha phi sorority and currently hold the position of new member education. I always liked to be involved with various clubs and activities that are based on philanthropic principles.

I love being active and going on adventurous hikes and exploring new places. I love puppies and anything fluffy!!!

Hello Terps! My name is Robby May and I will be your site coordinator while you are in Gaston over the next week. Both myself and the rest of our staff is VERY excited to have you on campus! As myself and the rest of the staff have enjoyed reading your bios online, I wanted to go ahead and post my short bio here too so you would know a little about me.Here ya go:

Robby May came to KIPP Gaston College Preparatory in 2009 to teach 7th Grade 20th Century History. Since 2010 he has taught 8th grade Political Science. Additionally he is the Founding AP US Government & Politics Teacher which he is currently piloting with an 8th grade class. He is also the founding director for both the middle school (AcoustiCats) and high school (Infusion) show choirs. Additionally, he serves as the Community Leader of Middle School Social Studies for the KIPP Foundation. Robby holds a Bachelors degree in Social Science Secondary Education from Frostburg State University and a Masters of Science in Curriculum & Instruction from Drexel University. He has been a lifetime Boy Scout, and is an Eagle Scout, an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), a summer Christian camp director. Robby has firsthand experience working in the government working as an intern for Governor Ehrlich of Maryland, paging in the Maryland General Assembly, and interning for President Obama at the White House.

Aditi Kalotra, Participant

Hey everyone!

I’m Aditi and I’m a senior neurobiology and physiology major with a minor in education and human development. I’m planning on taking a year off after I graduate before applying to medical school. My dream job is to become a pediatrician one day!

I am from Potomac, Maryland in Montgomery County and I’ve spent my entire life in the same area. I really look forward to this alternative break trip so that I can explore and learn about different issues that other parts of our country faces. Rural education has always sparked my interest. I have been tutoring for the past 7 years, starting in high school I tutored local middle schoolers in an after school program. In college I joined Terps for Change and I tutor high schoolers at Northwestern High School. Education reform is an issue that I believe very strongly in. I am hoping to help make a difference in the Gaston community and in the lives of the students at the KIPP School.

As far as hobbies go, I love football (huge redskins fan J), dance, listening to music, and baking. I also really enjoy traveling and doing adventurous things (next on my list is skydiving J).

I am really excited for this trip! Can’t wait to see you all soon!

Ya Zhou, trip participant

Hi everyone! My name is Ya and I'm a chronic procrastinator (hence the late blog entry). Apologies, but I hope to get to know everyone in the coming days! I'm a senior biochemistry major and currently applying to medical schools. My dream is to be a well-equipped, productive, and community-minded physician one day.

I went on my first AB trip as a freshman to Kentucky for rural poverty and went on to lead two trips to Atlanta and New Orleans the next two years. And now as a senior, I'm once again a participant! I also work as an intern for the AB office, so I can attest to the amount of work trip leaders like Chemia and Correy put into our AB trips :)

Outside of school, I enjoy baking (and sometimes cooking). I also am a huge fan of musicals (was really tempted to re-watch Les Mis) and British T.V. shows (Sherlock, Line of Duty in particular).

See you all tomorrow!!

Eating @ my favorite CP food stop

Olivia Peng ,Trip Participant

Ni hao ma ? This is Olivia (Yuyang) Peng from Nanning ,a city in southwest part of China , Nanning is a small and beautiful city and you are very welcomed to visit my country someday! I have come to United States for about five months and I love it here ! I am a first year graduate student in Accounting and so is my undergraduate major , but I am not sure about choosing Accounting as my lifelong career so I keep learning and trying different things before I decide what suits best for me ! 

The reason that make me love here most is the people here! People I met in the university , off-campus activities or when I was traveling around , they help me a lot even I am a stranger .I am so grateful everyday for the kindness I received that I decided to do something ,which makes me participate in this alternative break program. 

I love kids and other pure ,naive and lovely things , I feel very comfortable staying with them .

In the previous twenty+ years I spent much time in the classroom or textbooks and felt like not going anywhere , but when I forced myself to go out and take look of the outside world , I just cannot stop going !!  I  like outdoor activities such as hiking ,paddling and climbing, and also I love photographing animals ,and touching them :) . When traveling I would like to stay in a specific place for a relatively longer time and communicate with people there ,make friends and listening to their stories , for me that might be more meaningful and interesting. 

I love the idea of KIPP to improve the rural education and I am excited to work with the team ! See you all soon !

Idara Akpan, Trip Participant

"ABADIE?" is a greeting, which means how are you in Ibibio my native Nigerian language.. My name is Idara and I am from Hyattsville, MD about five miles from the university's campus. I am currently in my third year at UMD, and in the Special Education program with a minor in Human Development.

This past summer I had the honor of working for the Orientation Office as a program registrar, and I continue to work in the office during the school year. I also intern for a non-profit organization called Community Bridges in Silver Spring. I work with young girls at White Oak Middle School on understanding and developing identity and leadership.

I hope to use my major and experience with children to one day become a Special Education teacher and later on work on a Board of Education. I have also recently began looking into becoming an occupational therapist for children with cerebral palsy.

I have an extreme sweet tooth and enjoy eatting all sorts of junk foods! Another one of my current obsessions is watching the Investigation Discovery channel, which reenacts and describes real life criminal investigations.

Joining and participating in Alternative Breaks was really important to me especially going to Gaston for rural education because I am interested in educational policies and learning different ways to better the educational system.

Ali Benjamin, Trip Participant

Hey everyone! I’m Ali and I’m from Rockville, Maryland, which is in Montgomery County for those of you from the great state of MD. I’m a junior this year, but it’s actually my first semester at UMD and the past two years I’ve attended the University of South Carolina. I was a broadcast journalism major at USC but I just declared a major in Communications this past semester. I’ve wanted to do some kind of a service trip for years, so I really can’t wait!

My hobbies include any and all things active and I’m one of those peoplewho have to stay busy. I am a huge water sports junkie, such as swimming, diving, water polo, and anything in a pool. I love outdoorsy activities as well like hiking and biking, and I absolutely love traveling and seeing new places. I’m the girl who takes 200 pictures and has 50 face book albums because I absolutely love photography and singing is also a huge passion of mine. I spend as much time with my friends as I can and love going out. I wish I could cook, but sadly the best I can probably do is a solid bowl of cereal (honey bunches of oats w/ almonds and/or cinnamon clusters). My biggest accomplishment of the year 2012 was branching out and going team throwback and getting bangs. Best decision of my year.

I am obsessed with working with kids so I think this will be a great and rewarding experience. I’m so excited to get to know everyone and have a great time in Gaston.

Ann Marie Huisentruit, Trip Participant

Who's excited to get this trip started?  If you raised your hand, then I already know we have a lot in common.  Just the thought of getting to work with kids all day and play board games all night is enough to make me want to wake up early on Wednesday!  But let's be real, I'll never wake up early for anything if I can help it.  

My hometown of Silver Spring is just twenty minutes outside College Park, and yes I will start commuting next year.  My three younger brothers are definitely looking forward to having me around to drive them to baseball practice.

After years of tutoring I'm finally going to have some first-hand classroom experience!  Learning how to make lesson plans and conduct classes while being ridiculously energetic and surrounded by wonderful people?  Really, I'm living every freshman Elementary Education major's dream.  Helping people help themselves is probably my #1 hobby right before meeting people and belting out Two Door Cinema Club while I drive.

Here are some other things I like:

There are very few things I don't like, and I'm always willing to try new foods, activities, and food activities.  As long as you don't crack your knuckles or leave seconds on the microwave, we should get along just fine.

Jackie Weiss-Trip Participant

My name is Jackie Weiss and I am a freshman kinesiology major (possibly double majoring with psychology) from Olney, MD, which is in Montgomery County. I want to become a physical therapist one day, hopefully working in sports medicine and/or working with children. 

I chose this specific alternative break trip for many reasons. I find the issue of education extremely important and it would be such a unique and interesting experience to see first-hand how education is being reformed for children living in poverty. I love working with children and really like how this trip involves direct interaction with the students and teachers in the school. Not only will we get to learn from this experience, but we are able to directly help the people in the Gaston community.

I absolutely love both playing sports and volunteering. In high school I ran cross country and track (running literally became my life) and played basketball. Now I am a member of the Terp Runners Club and the Club Ultimate Frisbee A team. As far as volunteering goes, I have worked many positions in my local hospital, worked in a nursing home, helped teach a fourth grade and then later preschool class, and helped out in many other places, all of which were tons of fun! I am also very passionate about Relay for Life, which I have been a part of for six years now, and am thrilled to be on UMD’s committee for the event.

I have had lots of experience working with children, which has made me realize how much I would love to work with them in my professional career. One of the best experiences I have had was volunteering at UMD’s Children’s Developmental Clinic last semester. There you are paired up with a child who either has a disability or is from a local area in poverty and for nine weeks you get to work with the same child and form a really close bond while providing them with a really fun two hours! This clinic is at the SPH building and I would highly recommend looking into it if you love working with children and don’t mind waking up early on Saturdays.

Some other activities I love include snowboarding, ice skating, hiking, pogo sticking, scrap-booking, and hanging out with my family and friends. I am also terrible at cooking so I apologize in advance.

I can’t wait to meet everybody in a couple of days! I hope everyone’s having a fantastic break! :)

Grace Toohey, Trip Participant

Happy New Year everyone! I am so excited that it is almost time for this trip to begin, I have been looking forward to it for quite a while!

My name is Grace and I am a freshman student at the University of Maryland. I am planning on majoring in Journalism, but I am also currently searching for the perfect second major. I really enjoy writing and have written a few articles for the Diamondback, Maryland's student-run newspaper. I am very involved and invested in Best Buddies, an international volunteer movement that works to create one-to-one friendships and leadership opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I am pretty unsure of my career path at this point, but hope to do something that can make a difference in this world.

This is my first Alternative Break, but I chose it because I think it will combine a lot of my interests and highlight my abilities. I really enjoy working with kids, I love the slower pace of the country, and I have recently learned a lot about the education system in the context of disability and delinquency. But more than that, I know it will be an eye opening experience for many reasons.

I have many hobbies and interests! I love playing sports and being active; I played basketball, soccer, and softball in high school and have enjoyed many intramural sports at Maryland. I love to go on hikes and spend time outdoors; my favorite vacation spot is my cousin's farm in rural Virginia. I enjoy reading, writing, sewing, country music, and playing games (can't wait for our late nights in the house!). But mostly I just love laughing with friends and family!

I can't wait to see KIPP's mission put into action and be a part of educating our next generation! Teaching is such a difficult job; I want to learn how to really reach the students and help them to realize their full potential. I think that rural education is a very important issue, one that look to support and enrich. See you all soon!

Stephanie Goncalves, Trip Participant

Ola! I hope everyone is having a great break! J

My name is Stephanie and I’m a sophomore from Rockville, MD. I’ve been in Maryland all my life and wouldn't have it any other way—I love it here. My parents are Portuguese immigrants, so I was raised in the Portuguese culture and remain a Portuguese girl at heart today.

(Photo:  Me in Florida--drinking the best pink lemonade ever!)

I’m studying psychology and am currently working on a research project. I have assisted research in various labs on campus and couldn't be more excited to get to conduct my own research. Aside from this, I have volunteered at a sexual health clinic in Silver Spring and at NAMI MC, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of those impacted by mental illness.

In my free time I enjoy crafting, reading and spending time with my lovely friends and family members. I also enjoy laughing, but I do that all the time.

I’m very excited for the trip! I’m looking forward to learning about rural education and the methods KIPP uses to motivate and teach their students. I just love how KIPP manages to break the confines of poverty and give these kids the tools they need to actually succeed. Coolest thing ever.

I’m looking forward to meeting you all! See you'll soon! 

Chris Frye - Trip Participant

Hey everyone! My name is Chris Frye and I'm a freshman student at UMD.  I'm from Glen Burnie, MD (just outside of Baltimore) and I'm currently a double major in Economics and Environmental Politics and Policy, with the hope of working in international development.  After I graduate, I want to get my master's degree and go into the Peace Corps, hopefully at the same time.   I also try to stay as involved as I can on campus.  I'm currently the President of my Hall Council as part of RHA, and I'm also a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity on campus, where I serve as the Philanthropy Chair, among other things.  I also volunteer with Circle K and will (hopefully) be an America Counts mentor next semester.

This is my first AB trip but I'm hoping to go on many more trips over the next four years.  This is not my first service trip though as I've spent the past two summers volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in both rural North Carolina and Georgia.

As far as hobbies go, I'm a pretty simple guy.  I'm a huge film buff and spend way too much of my free time watching them.  I also enjoy running, reading, traveling, and of course, community service.  Also, word of wording, I can't cook to save my life so please be patient with me when it's my turn to cook!

I am super excited to get to know all of you while giving back to the community.  I am very interested in education reform and am looking forward to learning about the unique challenges facing rural education, and how the KIPP school is meeting those challenges.  See you all soon!