Service is one of the main pillars of the Honors College. In my first semester of college, I participated in multiple different service opportunities, but I will never forget my first trip to Hull Springs Farm. This trip was the first time that I truly understood the meaning of service within the Honors College.
Hull Springs Farm is a piece of land is a piece of land in Westmoreland County, Virginia, that was donated to Longwood by an alumni in 1999. Most semesters, the Honors College takes a group of scholars from the Honors community to enjoy a weekend of service and friendship. I had the privilege of attending the service retreat during the spring semester of my freshman year. In the days leading up to the weekend, I was nervous. I did not know how the sleeping arrangements were going to work, if I would like any of the food, and the types of service that we were going to participate in. On top of all of that, my three closest friends and fellow members of the Honors College were not attending with me. This was definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone! (Spoiler alert: everything turned out fine!)
We left Longwood on Friday afternoon and stopped in Midlothian, Virginia for dinner. It was a loooong ride, but we eventually got to the farm. When we got there, we all ran in to claim rooms, and then met downstairs for a game. We shared many laughs that night during the game. After the game, we talked about the events for the next day and then went to sleep.
On Saturday morning, we got up bright and early. We were divided into three groups. One of the groups went to clean up a beach, another went to help tidy up a church, and my group was assigned to clean up debris around the campsite of the farm. I was glad that I got put into the group that I did, because I got a chance to see parts of the farm that some people on the trip had never seen before. Once we arrived to the campsite, we picked up big branches and sticks from the campsite. There was a big wind storm a couple of days prior to our arrival so there was a lot to do! As I was working, I got to chat with the other members of my group. I learned many new things about them, and I feel as though we got closer after that morning. After a quick break for lunch, we went to our next service project which was volunteering at a women’s shelter. As a group, we helped the shelter in many different ways. Some people cleaned windows, some washed counters, some cleaned children’s toys, and some assembled baskets. We all worked together to get the job done, and the staff of the shelter were very grateful for our hard work. For dinner on Saturday, we went to an Italian restaurant in town. This was a great opportunity to be able to talk to my friends and relax after a long day. I think it is safe to say that everyone slept well that night!
On the drive home, I had a chance to reflect about the weekend.
- I feel closer to my other Honors colleagues. Not all Honors scholars live in Wheeler, especially upperclassman, so I feel as though this trip gave me an chance to get to know these people better on a personal level. We talked, we laughed, but most of all, we had fun! I’m thankful to be part of this community!
- Our Earth is beautiful. On this trip, we saw a variety of different animals. Everything from squirrels, birds, bald eagles, and a fox. Yes! We saw two bald eagles and a fox right outside our window!
- I was grateful for the opportunity to attend this trip. Not only did it show me what service in the Cormier Honors College meant, but it gave me a look into what service meant outside of Farmville.