Final Reflection
Andrew Wykowski:
As anyone on the trip will tell you one of my favorite words is "interested" because I think it provides the idea of excitement and caution all wrapped up into one. I am interested to see were we go from here because as a group it on us to use what we have learned to help our community grow. I would like to thank everyone for all the different types of support that they gave us. "Together we can face any challenges as deep as the ocean and as high as the sky."-Sonia Ghandi. I hold this belief that I am nothing without other people they help me to learn and grow stronger.
August Geiermann:
On this week’s LEVEL break trip, our experience was more
than about the service we were doing or the tasks we completed. In my opinion,
our true purpose in embarking on this experience was to grow and change for the
better, both as a group and as individuals. Going in, I anticipated I wouldn’t
be able to do much, and was preparing to adopt a “it’s the thought that really
counts” philosophy. However, I grew to learn that the extent of my abilities
actually was limitless, and that I had simply cowered behind fear and
unconfident, doubting thoughts for the last 19 years of my life. I realized,
even through venial tasks that others take for granted, that I could be far
more independent, thoughtful, and mature if I simply attempted to grow instead
of assuming that my ability would have prevented me to do so. I may have done
some amazing things through serving both the community fighting the label of
disability as well as the organization of LEVEL that I have never been prouder
to be a part of, but I find the greatest impact I felt from this experience was
the growth as a person I experienced from serving myself in ways I never before
thought were possible.
Becca Riedel:It’s hard to believe that our week in North Carolina is already over. I had no idea what to expect going into this trip, but I never thought we would be able to accomplish all that we did. It was amazing to see everyone get so excited about their specific projects, and work together to create something amazing. My favorite day was when we visited the Community School of Davidson, and some of us painted rocks and did other activities with students who had a variety of disabilities. I had the pleasure of having a dance party with one of the students, and can confidently say that I have not smiled and laughed that much in a long time. I now have a much different outlook on ability and through the different tasks completed and discussions we had, the 21 of us who went on this break trip are ready to spread the knowledge we learned and make LEVEL even better than it already is.
Brandon McNabb:
Wow. What a ride.
Thank you to all of the staff at Rocky Creek, Triple Play, and the Community School of Davidson for graciously welcoming us into your communities. I hope we were able to leave a lasting positive impact on you, as you sure did on us. Thank you Tracy Byrnes and Brian Muscarella for working on this trip for the past two years alongside Greg, and opening up your lives to us so that we could all grow and learn together. Thank you Greg for having the vision and the motivation to get this trip off the ground. This would not have been possible without you. Finally, thank you to everyone for embarking on this journey, challenging yourselves, embracing the uncomfortable, being so open to others, and changing my life forever.
It is going to take some time for me to fully digest everything that happened this past week. There were so many beautiful, touching, and inspiring moments that will stick with me for a long time. I have learned so much about myself, about others, and about perceptions of ability, while having so much fun in the process. I finally realized that the only limits to ability are those that you set for yourself. This truly will be a week I will never forget.
The LEVEL Break Trip was a truly fulfilling experience in many ways, through the service, sight-seeing on the farm and school, the people and animals we met and worked with, and the work we accomplished. We got to learn more about how places like the farm land and school we went to helps people of different abilities (in ways our community can learn from), as well as those with PTSD, who are suffering from opioid addiction, need mental health recovery, or facing any other problems. The work we accomplished provided new activities for the people and animals on the farm. We even made new benches to replace the old ones, and replanted this small garden they have. Through this trip, we have enhanced or acquired a new service oriented mindset and skillset, which will help us with LEVEL, any future break trips, and any other similar activities, which I am truly grateful for. We also got to learn much about each other and improve our ways of thinking through our group reflections and casual conversations throughout our days.
Cassie Moriarty:
This week in North Carolina has pushed me to challenge assumptions about not only those around me, but myself as well. The activities throughout the week allowed me to consider the mission of LEVEL as it pertains to my own life, our group, our campus, our break trip, and beyond. The support this group has shown me and the lessons I have learned this week have had an immeasurable impact on my life. I could not feel more blessed and grateful to have been a part of this incredible experience.
Colleen Fitzpatrick:
When posed with the opportunity to be a part of LEVEL’s
first break trip, I was touched and honored to contribute to something so
special. Over the course of the last week I learned a lot about myself and
others. I was pushed to step outside my comfort zone, put down my phone, and be
present in the moment. I got to share my unique bond with animals with my
friends and watch them form their own. Walking away from our break trip, I hope
to continue to pursue meaningful bonds with the other members and take what I
learned about myself and apply it to my everyday life. Thank you Rocky Creek
Ranch and Triple Play Farm for sharing your slice of heaven (goats, horses, and
Fergus the cat included) with us.
Connor Hayes:
Thank you again to everyone involved with this trip. This was a fantastic experience that has deeply impacted me and I am sure others as well. I am already looking forward to next year's trip!
Danielle Adiletta:
We all could have spent our spring breaks at home on the couch or on some grand vacation, but we chose to take a chance on the first ever Level service break trip. We challenged ourselves to stay present and learn from the people we met, the various service sites, and each other. I personally embraced my own discomfort, and in doing so, I opened myself to new people and experiences. I so grateful that I got to be part in this journey and spreading the message of Level even further.
Justin Bagin:
Going on the 2018 LEVEL Break Trip was absolutely amazing! I had such a good time bonding with everyone else on the trip while doing service for the good of the local community. I hope to attend a similar trip next year with LEVEL because of my memorable experience this past week!
Katie DeNicola:
It’s so hard to put into words how much this Level Break Trip means to me. From first being asked to attend until I went back to my dorm after returning to campus, I was impacted by every single moment and every single person I met. The work we did allowed us to spread the message of LEVEL and created the opportunity for us to grow individually and as a group. Thank you to everyone that was involved in planning the trip for creating an amazing experience. But most of all, thank you to the 20 students who attended the trip with me, for creating an environment where I felt so comfortable to be myself. I cannot wait to see how we take what we have learned on the trip and apply it to our lives at Villanova.
This was an incredible experience and I am so lucky to have been apart of it! I'm so excited to bring back all the lessons I learned and share them with so many people in my life. Trips like this are extremely important and I sincerly hope that as many people as possible get to have at least a similar opportunity!
This week was one of the highlights of my college experience. I had the privilege to work with an amazing group of individuals and to build relationships that will last well beyond my time at Villanova. I saw tremendous growth out of myself and others, and Triple Play, Rocky Creek, and LEVEL fostered that growth in an accessible and inclusive environment. This week couldn't have been possible without them, and I cannot thank them enough for it.
Mackenzie Ward:
I now know without a doubt that I made the right choice when decided to come on this trip. I learned about myself, challenged assumptions, and bonded with all of the other people on this trip. I will forever be happy that I was able to be a part of the first trip and I cannot wait to see where this group will go from here. Being a part of LEVEL has been the highlight of my Villanova experience and this trip embodied everything that we strive to be. This week in North Carolina was truly a privilege and I will never forget it.
Matt Steven:
This week I went on my first spring break trip with Villanova. We went to North Carolina where we helped do service for a week at a couple farms. I was able to get to see some animals such as horses and goats and I was able to do things that I haven’t gotten to yet. I got to groom a horse for the very first time and I was also able to work on projects such as help building a bench and painting. This week was a great experience for me and it really made me feel a lot like I am becoming more involved.
Rachel Heckler:
Ryan Vaughn:
I signed up to attend the LEVEL spring break trip before understanding what we were doing. I’m absolutely terrified of animals. So I knew I needed to be open and accepting to new challenges upon finding out we were working at a ranch. I am so glad I went on this trip because the friendships I made will last forever. Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible!
Sam Saferstein:
This trip was a great experience for me. Especially being a freshman, it was great to get early exposure to the service experience at Villanova and I learned a lot from the experiences of my peers.I never thought I'd build such a connection with this group when the trip was over, and I look forward to carrying these friendships onwards. I definitely look forward to spreading LEVEL's mission in the future and becoming more involved.
Sarah Godschall:
My goal going into this week was to grow as individuals and as a group, and my expectations were shattered. I’m so thankful for everyone who played a part in this experience and who helped make it possible- this is something we’ve been dreaming about since I joined LEVEL my freshman year, and I’m never going to forget the memories made this week. Our LEVEL family has changed my perspective in ways I never could’ve imagined and I’m so grateful to be a part of it. Our experience in North Carolina really has me thinking about the impact that our group can have if we continue to expand beyond Villanova. Can’t wait to see how this trip brings our group back on campus to the next ~level~ (sorry couldn’t resist).
Tori Faust:
This week absolutely flew by and though I am sad to leave the paradise we found in North Carolina, I am so thankful for all that I learned and experienced during this week. Every day I was amazed by the hospitality we found at each of our sites and in all of the individuals we interacted with; I am immensely proud of the community that Villanova promotes and this trip reaffirmed that this loyalty and friendship will continue long after graduation. I am also very proud of all the growth our group went through during this week. As we entered the week, it would be safe to call us all friendly acquaintances, but I know I'm leaving this week with many new friendships. In addition to strengthening our relationships, I also truly believe that we learned a lot about ability and we started a conversation that, if continued, will help our club grow and improve to better serve our goals. I cannot even begin to express the gratitude I feel for the opportunity I had to be a part of this trip but I look forward to seeing the lasting impact this week had on myself and on Level.
Victoria Berger:
This past week I’ve learned so much about myself, my peers, and ability. I’m so blessed that I have the support of new friends and the entire Villanova community. I hope we made a difference in the lives of those at Rocky Creek and Triple Play - they definitely changed mine.
Greg Hannah:
In 2015 this Break Trip was a vision that I had and wanted to bring to the students registered in the Office of Disability Services and the LEVEL Program. Working with Bob and Tracy Byrnes along with Brian Muscarella...this vision became a goal. In 2016/2017 that goal became a mission and from March 3rd to March 10th 2018 that mission was accomplished! Thank you to everyone who made this happen. As I sit at the airport to come home I am proud, and already planning Spring Break 2019!
Each and everyone of these reflections will stay in my heart forever. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know each of these exceptional Villanova University LEVEL students. I “assumed” you would all have a great visit, but am humbled that I was correct. I cannot 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 the staff at both facilities enough for making this opportunity possible. Greg Hannah, you have an amazing program and run it top notch! Thank you, LEVEL, for leaving your mark on Triple Play Farm and The Discovery Trail at Rocky Creek. It was a week for the memory books!
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