An Unforgettable Break

Brianne Dupuis’ 2012 Reading Week is one she’ll always remember.  Instead of opting for a more conventional break filled with warm beaches, late nights and relaxing afternoons, the second year English student chose to participate in the Alternative Spring Break Program, using her time off from class to better the lives of those who need it most.

Along with 15 other ASB volunteers, Dupuis travelled to the Maya Quiche community of Aldea el Novillero in Western Guatemala.  The volunteers worked with a local foreman on school campus repairs and improvements, continuing on with the work done by Laurier University students last February.  Specifically, Dupuis helped build a basketball court for the underprivileged elementary school.

“It was the most physical labour I have ever done in my life”, said Dupuis.  “I learned a lot about my capabilities. I pushed my boundaries every day, both physically and emotionally and am a better person for it.”

Though the workload on the trip was heavy, Dupuis was more than able to take in the local culture and spent much of her time in Aldea el Novillero teaching children English.  Exposure to this new and distinct culture has broadened Dupuis’ horizons.

The Mayan culture reinforced the importance of one’s personal roots and the monumental influence an individual can have by showing compassion to others.  The people of Aldea el Novillero lacked many basic resources themselves, but they were constantly offering the ASB volunteers food, water and shelter; and always with a smile.   The hospitality and kindness Dupuis witnessed in Guatemala has motivated her to become involved with cross cultural initiatives within the Carleton community.

Dupuis left Aldea el Novillero with countless memories, but her fondest was of the closing ceremony that the elementary school put on for the ASB volunteers.

“All 16 volunteers had just, for the first time, dressed up and spent a good deal of time making ourselves pretty when we were told we had one more thing to do. We had to, in our dresses, skirts and button downs, carry basketball nets up to the cement pad we had just completed. So here we all were, lifting these extremely heavy basketball nets through the ceremony stage to get them up to the construction site, while at the same time holding down our dresses because it had just become very windy.  Although we ended up dirty, tired, and windblown for this fancy ceremony, it was a true depiction of our determination to finish the basketball court for the community of Aldea el Novillero.”

Through all of this, Dupuis learned a lot about herself.  She explains that by pushing her boundaries she became a better person.  Her experience in Aldea el Novillero taught her that we all posses the power to make a difference in the lives of others, and that there are few greater pleasures than making someone in need smile.

“Aldea el Novillero is, hands down, the greatest place I have ever been. Everything on the trip has made me a better person. The trip was not about what we did for the community of Aldea el Novillero but what they did for us.”

Clearly, Dupuis has no regrets in choosing Aldea el Novillero as her destination vacation for her 2012 spring break.

For more information on the Alternative Spring Break Program