When 9/11 happened I was in 6th grade. The first day back at school my Social Studies teacher said to our class, “You may not realize it, but your innocence has been taken from you.” And it had. And I felt it. That is kind of how I’m feeling on this trip. We have learned so much about various things such as the government, the wetlands, the corruption of the New Orleans police department, the human destruction to our wetlands, the oil spill, and the fact that Hurricane Katrina was not a “natural” disaster. The poverty we have witnessed, and the situations we have learned about, are opening my eyes to the world around me. I am a Junior in college, and I have looked at the world generally positively, and without adequate regard to the major issues that are present. Mainly, I have looked at the world without questioning it. Now I am learning to question the world around me and not to simply accept it for what it is. 9/11 darkened my view, however I was still a bit young. Although I am young now, I am at a point in my life where I am developing my ideas, beliefs, and opinions about the world, and the life I want to live. Opening myself to the truth behind certain issues has certainly darkened my innocence. With this loss of innocence and naivety, comes the importance of morality and question. It has shown me that morality is extremely important to me, and the people I have met on this trip, and that provides a bit of light and excitement.

Community service is an interesting thing. One of the things I have primarily learned is that education about what you are doing is extremely important, not necessarily about the physical thing that you are doing, but the overall concept of why you are doing it, and why it needs to be done. Also, the main thing is that it is often temporary service. There is so much more to it than simply the act. It is hard to put yourself in the position of the people who you are trying to help. In fact, it is impossible. But you must forget about yourself, and try your hardest to understand the world from other perspectives. Union College is such a bubble of paradise and we are often so wrapped up in our studies and social lives. We may not be able to completely immerse ourselves in other ways of life and situations, however, we can go outside our bubble and think beyond. I am beyond grateful for this opportunity. The things I am learning are extremely significant.