By Katie Brydon
March 31, 2009


Many Vanderbilt University students made Spring Break plans to go to parties, soak up the sun, hang out with friends and enjoy their free time. But, a few others decided to participate in a life-changing “Alternative Spring Break,” or ASB, during which they dedicated their time to community service projects.

Jessica Solomon, a junior at Vanderbilt, has participated in two ASB trips during her time at Vanderbilt, as have almost all of her friends. She witnessed the empowering effects this experience had on her and her classmates, and wondered how would someone who had never travelled or participated in service work, feel about an ASB experience - would it have the same impact? She decided to find out.

Jessi serves as the College Buddy Director for her Best Buddies chapter at Vanderbilt. This winter, she and her Faculty Advisor worked tirelessly to organize a service trip that included Buddies and College Buddies from the chapter.

By partnering with an AmeriCorps program called Volunteer Tennessee, the chapter was able to secure a community center floor to sleep on each night, and organize their days to be packed with service. In the mornings, the group planted organic gardens at Beardsley Farm to create sustainable food options for greater urban Knoxville. In the afternoons, they worked with local children. And, since it was Spring Break, they did reserve a little time for some fun, including basketball games and shopping trips.

So what kind of impact did an ABS have on Vanderbilt Best Buddies? Jessi is the first to admit there were a lot of ups and downs, but what else can you expect when College Buddy Pairs spend 24 hours a day with each other for an entire week?

Despite what they called their “highs and lows,” Adrian, a Buddy at Vanderbilt, said it was an adventure with the “best and most fun, outgoing fun people to be around. From the good times to the bad times, we still had the greatest time from my eyes. We worked together on a project for people that have less than us. Just having fun working with each other… this was the greatest week ever!”

And, if you visit the group’s blog, you’ll see that the ASB had a profound impact on all who participated, http://bestbuddiesspringbreak.blogspot.com/, especially the Buddies, who learned to overcome obstacles, break through personal barriers, and, ultimately, become more independent.

On the way to Knoxville, the van the Buddy Pairs were riding in got a flat tire. Instead of acting passive or complaining about the inconvenience, two Buddies jumped at the opportunity to learn how to change a flat. They accompanied the driver to the garage and helped get their friends back on the road, inspiring the group to see setbacks as an opportunity to learn something new. The simple act of changing a tire became a bonding experience, not the nuisance it could have been without the Buddies’ positive attitude. Many of the Buddies were able to share their talents and love for working outdoors and with children, which empowered them, leading them to open up more.

One Buddy Pair, Travis and Adrian, had been paired for almost a year, but Adrian was so quiet, Travis knew little about him. After a few days of community service, Adrian began speaking more and by the end of the trip, the chapter knew his life story. This has obviously helped to strengthen the friendship of Travis and Adrian, but, perhaps more importantly, offered new opportunities for Adrian. After his ASB experience, Adrian participated not only as a member, but as the presenter at a service conference the chapter attended shortly after returning from Knoxville.

Parents and guardians have noticed changes at home, too.  Before the ASB trip, Buddies expected their families to clean their dishes, pack their lunches and remind them of the day’s schedule. After their service trip with friends, parents are proud to say that their children are cleaning their own dishes, picking up their rooms, and remembering their tasks for the day without asking. The independence that this trip fostered had an incredible effect on the lives of the Buddies that participated.

During ASB, Buddies had the opportunity to give back. Many volunteer because they feel like they should, but people with intellectual disabilities are not always asked to serve their community. For the Buddies at Vanderbilt, these service projects were more rewarding because they finally had the chance to help others. Jessi even admitted that she hadn’t noticed the great strengths of the Buddies in her chapter until they had the opportunity to work on a project to give back.

The chapter at Vanderbilt is already busily planning their ASB trip for next year, and they hope to double the number of Buddy Pairs that attend. They also want to serve as a resource for other college chapters that may want to participate in an ASB experience – something they highly recommend!