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! :)
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