From Florida to Virginia: Scots serve communities

LEXIE THAYER
PHOTOGRAPHER
LAYOUT EDITOR

3/16/2026

During Alma’s Spring Break, 19 students made a direct impact on communities in Sarasota County, Florida and Natural Bridge, Virginia, through volunteer work. 

In Sarasota, students collaborated with the non-profit United Way to assist in the rebuilding and rehabilitation of a house affected by Hurricane Milton. 

The daily tasks included removing roots and vines that had piled up in the yard, as well as repainting the house, emphasizing the functionality of the surrounding property.

“By the end of our four days, we had filled up four industrial garbage bins of yard debris. Despite the hard work, seeing the progress everyone made by the end of the week was by far my favorite part,” said Genevieve Busch (‘27).

Due to the regular collaboration of the Alma team and the man for whom they were rebuilding the house, many students additionally highlighted the enhanced sense of purpose.

“I loved the opportunity to connect with the homeowner and hear his life story…Unlike a food bank, where you give and move on, we were able to interact with him every day and learn about his experiences,” said Emerson Inzeo (‘27).

Assisting the students were Staff Supervisors Maya Dora-Laskey and Kari Czachowski, who oversaw risk management and additionally contributed their efforts to rebuilding the home.

In Natural Bridge, students partnered with the Natural Bridge State Park to support park staff in preserving the trails and supporting visitor experience.

Tasks varied from trail maintenance, such as raking and lopping interfering branches, to tearing up flooring inside the park ranger warehouse. One day, students were even able to create a watershed model for an incoming group of elementary students on a field trip.

“I enjoyed that we worked on a day-by-day basis. The park rangers were obviously adept at being flexible in terms of the weather, because our volunteer coordinator was always thinking on his toes for what we should work on next,” said Petronella Wilson (‘28).

During this trip, students were additionally informed about the deep-rooted heritage of the landmark, which was previously owned by Thomas Jefferson and had George Washington’s initials famously carved into the wall. 

“The rich history of that park was absolutely mind-blowing to learn about. It’s crazy how only ten years ago it was still privately owned, and now it is completely supervised by Virginia’s state government,” said Mayte Vazquez-Ceballos (‘28).

Accompanying these students were Staff Supervisors Chantell Graves and D’Angelo Caldwell.

Although both groups of students were only able to volunteer for a week, the profound impacts that Scots continue to make during alternative breaks will be felt by the communities they serve and carried forward by the students long after the week has ended.

While the locations and projects differed, both trips reflected the mission of Alma College’s Alternative Breaks program of learning and community engagement during Alma’s breaks.

Students who are interested in taking an alternative break can follow Alma College’s Alternative Breaks Instagram @ac_altbreaks or scan the QR code around campus.