For this year’s senior projects, most students participated in Habitat for Humanity builds, working in several different groups close to home and farther away. Students worked at sites in the District, Hyattsville, near Baltimore and Frederick while others journeyed to West Virginia and to Guatemala. No matter where they worked, each group had a similar experience--working hard, enjoying meeting the community and the families that would live in the homes they worked on, and having experiences they will not soon forget.

Some students also worked on other projects—from volunteering at Bethesda-based A Wider Circle, helping to build new structures at Calleva, or clearing trails along the Potomac River.

The West Virginia team worked in Pendleton and Franklin Counties, helping to build houses as well as housing for other Habitat volunteers. Cami Uechi said, “We worked closely with several Habitat families, and found that building a house together built strong relationships and our shared values of family, security and home bridged the cultural divide.”

The West Virginia students blogged about their trip at http://bulliswv.blogspot.com, and you can also watch a video recap of their trip.

The Guatemala group worked in Salamá, a five-hour drive from the city of Antigua. They worked on a few different homes, and blogged about their trip at http://bamosaguatemalabullis.blogspot.com. Senior Lauren Keane wrote, “It was really hard to say goodbye to all of the kids, which goes to show that you don’t need to speak the same langauge to connect with people and form a bond.” Olivia Holmes was inspired to continue serving others: “One thing I’ve learned is I should aspire to make a difference and wherever that place is there will always be a need.”

The students gathered at the end of the trips to share their stories and experiences. Among the many take-aways expressed, students agreed that they learned a lot about the appreciation they gained for how other people live and the values and dreams that are universally shared. The seniors also gained perspective and appreciation for the hard work involved in building a home, and the enjoyment of being a part of that progress.

June 5, 2012