It’s spring break time. And while college students across the nation are clicking the “submit” button on their all-inclusive vacation packages to Cancún Cabo and the Caribbean certain groups of Pepperdine students are preparing to take a different route of traveling around the world pursuing missions of service purpose and leadership.
Some exotic locations are on the list— for example Dubai the booming center of tourism and commerce where Pepperdine students in the Washington D.C. Internship Program will travel to engage in a cultural exchange hosted by the United Arab Emirate minister of higher education and crown prince of Abu Dhabi.
And in Fiji two Project SERVE teams will support two local non-profit organizations. One started by freshman Austin Cooper’s parents establishes kindergarten programs in the villages of Fiji; the second started by freshman Julian Tooma’s parents provides medical and dental services to the islanders.
In the Dominican Republic first lady Debby Benton will accompany two Project SERVE teams headed there to teach in local schools and orphanages.
The list of Project SERVE destinations continues including Guatemala Panama the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona and a handful of inner-city destinations.
The team going to Las Vegas has another fun twist: after half of their trip serving at a rescue mission and food bank they will spend the remainder cheering on the Waves men’s and women’s basketball teams at the West Coast Conference Tournament.
And 10 students as part of Project L.E.A.D. will travel to East Coast cities to pick the brains of political and business leaders. They will also administer leadership workshops to kids at underprivileged schools.
From Fiji to Dubai— from Seattle to Panama— Pepperdine students will scatter the globe next week in search of meaningful and rewarding ways to spend their vacations.
SPOTLIGHT: Project Serve Gears Up
Nine years ago Pepperdine joined the ranks of educational institutions that offer their students a week-long spring break. It was then in 2001 that the Pepperdine Volunteer Center with Director Ashley Nolan at the helm stepped forward to offer students the opportunity to dedicate that week to service.
“Service is such an important part of Pepperdine’s mission Nolan said. Students get to travel meet new people get exposed to new cultures and a lot of different social needs.
In its first year one of the four Project SERVE?teams traveled to New York City in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 to volunteer right at ground zero.
The following year Project SERVE exploded in popularity expanding to 14 groups. This year 17 teams will participate in the program.
Nolan says she used to ask students to give up their spring break for a week of service but now refrains from that terminology reflecting her understanding of the benefits volunteers get from their service.
“They get so much out of those trips. We go in thinking we’re sacrificing but a lot of times what we get out is so much more than what we give Nolan said. These communities bless us in ways we can’t plan for or expect and it happens consistently.”
First lady of Pepperdine Debby Benton who will be traveling to the Dominican Republic next week as part of a team to teach at a school and orphanage has already been touched by a gift from the people she’s about to serve: a birthday card from eight little girls wishing her a happy birthday Wednesday.
“It was amazing Benton said. I have a feeling our hearts will be a lot more touched by them than [anything we can do for them].”
“I’m excited because it’s going to be a good week to mix everything up for a week junior Owen Lloyd said about his upcoming adventure to Guatemala. And I think that what we’re going for is a good cause.”
Lloyd and the rest of his team will be installing water filters in homes and working with a local church.
SPOTLIGHT: D.C. program to visit U.A.E.
“As an international relations major this is the kind of thing you dream of.” That’s what junior Matthew Miller had to say about his spring break plans— a cultural exchange trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi with the rest of Pepperdine’s Washington D.C. Internship Program.
“We’ll be learning a lot about the culture and hopefully coming away with a new perspective he continued.
Pepperdine students will be hosted by the Minister of Higher Education and Crown Prince in Abu Dhabi, making this a remarkable cultural immersion experience.
Two years ago, Pepperdine’s D.C. Program Director Khalil Jahshan mentioned to the minister that he’d like to take Pepperdine students on a cultural exchange trip to the United Arab Emirates. Thursday evening, that idea becomes reality.
Part of the mission of Pepperdine is to try and enrich the educational experience of students in terms of international programs Jahshan said, recognizing Pepperdine’s current academic year and summer programs. I look at this as another layer of benefit to students. They will see a country that’s a pioneer in economic energy and political development It’s one of the unknown success stories of the Gulf.”
Going along with the students will be Seaver College Dean Rick Marrs and Dana Dudley the director of summer school and special academic programs.
“It’s a cultural exchange program Dudley explained, pure and simple— for one group to understand the other and reverse.”
Dudley said she hopes that students will come to understand Emirati politics economics and culture through visits to universities cultural centers museums and political offices.
Jahshan hopes students will be able to exchange views and establish lasting relationships with Emirati scholars that may facilitate delegations of Emirati students and faculty to visit Pepperdine in the future.
