Alternative spring break for Vanderbilt University students
Twelve students from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee spent their spring break at Best Friends as part of a school program called "Alternative Spring Break." Of course, what choice did they have?
Spring break options for Vanderbilt students
Oh, it was only between Best Friends and Guatemala! That’s right -- there were 39 choices for Vanderbilt students wanting to spend their spring break doing volunteer work, among them places as exotic as Guatemala. But, said Kristen Busseni, "We’re convinced this was the best one."
Trip for animal lovers
Why? Because they love animals, of course. Lindsay Miller said, "I think it’s important to give a voice to people who don’t have one." While Stephanie Sefcik pointed out that so much of animal welfare is "all about educating the kids, because kids have more influence than people realize."
This was their school’s description of the trip, which first piqued their curiosity:
Calling All Animal Lovers:
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, at the heart of Southern Utah's Golden Circle of national parks, is home, on any given day, to about 1,500 dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, and other animals. The organization manages a model No More Homeless Pets campaign with shelters and humane groups statewide to ensure that every healthy dog or cat that's ever born can be guaranteed a loving home. Through a variety of service opportunities, participants will have direct contact with the animals, and even be able to "adopt" one for the week and give it special attention in order to ease the animal’s transition into loving homes. During free time, participants will be able to have reflection time in one of the many beautiful national parks in the area.
"Thank you" to student volunteers
It’s no surprise that the 12 students who answered the call were a very intelligent and enthusiastic group! We thank them for all their hard work, and so do the animals. But were they glad they came? Not only glad, they said, but determined to get even more Vanderbilt students to pick Best Friends as their alternative spring break next year!