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Contact UsThe Office of Sustainability’s mission is to engage the UT Dallas community as a catalyst and champion for environmental stewardship and social responsibility while fostering a culture of sustainability evident in all aspects of the campus experience.
Spending Spring Break in Service
March 10-16, 2024
Written by Alisa Model and Carolina Parra
Instead of a traditional spring break, UT Dallas students can opt to spend spring break serving others through an immersive experience featuring a variety of service opportunities.
Alternative Spring Break (ASB [Alternative Spring Break] ), through the Office of Student Volunteerism, is an immersive week of service where UT Dallas students take part in trips around the U.S. focused on serving, learning, and connecting with communities. This year, three members of the Office of Sustainability joined two ASB [Alternative Spring Break] trips. First, staff member Avery McKitrick, and Eco Rep Alisa Model led a trip focused on Costal Conservation in Galveston, Texas. On the other side of the country, Eco Rep Carolina Parra joined a trip for Park Maintenance and Preservation at Moran State Park in Orca’s Island, Washington.
Costal Conservation trip in Galveston, Texas
Coastal Conservation ASB [Alternative Spring Break] Group Including Avery McKitrick (3rd from left) and Alisa Model (left)
Alisa Model, Eco Rep for Sustainability Service Honors & Event Planning, has worked for the Office of Sustainability for over a year. This semester, she became a site leader for the Coastal Conservation trip, co-sponsored by the Office of Sustainability. As an out-of-state student, Alisa was excited to take part in local conservation efforts within the state.
Alisa Model participating in Oyster Reef Building
Avery McKitrick, Senior Sustainability Coordinator, attended ASB [Alternative Spring Break] as a Responsible University Official (RUO [Responsible University Official] ). With their team of five additional students, Alisa and Avery participated in various volunteer projects throughout the week with the Galveston Bay Foundation. Their team picked up 546 gallons of trash, built 8.310 pounds of reef in the bay from bags full of oyster shells, trailblazed a third of a trail, and more! Alisa and Avery both agree that the Oyster Reef Building experience was the most impactful. By recycling oyster shells, the Galveston Bay Foundation protects the shoreline from further erosion and restores the native oyster populations.
Park Maintenance and Preservation trip in Orcas Island, Washington
Orcas Island Park Maintenance and Preservation ASB [Alternative Spring Break] Group including Carolina Parra (second row, right)
Carolina Parra, the Marketing Lead Eco Rep at the Office of Sustainability, has worked for the Office of Sustainability since 2022. That same year, she participated in her first ASB [Alternative Spring Break] trip to aid the Galveston Bay Foundation in Coastal Preservation. As her second and last ASB [Alternative Spring Break] trip, Parra chose to participate in Park Maintenance and Preservation at Moran State Park in Orcas Island, Washington.
Carolina Parra atop of Moran State Park’s Mt. Constitution
She and six other teammates, including the RUO [Responsible University Official] and site leader, spent the week of spring break gaining knowledge regarding North Pacific Island life, hiking, state parks, and the challenges that present themselves in the local communities. Physical tasks included assisting in rebuilding a native plant community garden, cleaning & removing truckfuls of trash and forest debris from campgrounds around the state park, and demolishing and replacing a small bridge on one of the trails.
Orcas Island Park Maintenance and Preservation ASB [Alternative Spring Break] Group demolishing old rotting bridge to replace
The most impactful volunteering experience was rebuilding the small bridge on a trail, as removing the old rotting bridge required the creativity and physical effort of all involved— a great team-building activity benefitting the community.