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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Rowan chapter.

During Spring Break, many people take the time to relax and catch up on sleep, travel with their family, or party in Miami. Although all those options will give you some nice memories to bring back to the remainder of the semester, I decided to take up an opportunity that Rowan offers its students to make a difference during Spring Break. Eight other students and I, with an advisor, traveled down to Natural Bridge, VA to volunteer for the week at the Natural Bridge State Park. We took a van ride down to spend the week carving trails, cutting down trees, and making benches for the park visitors. It wasn’t easy work; there was a lot of manual labor that went into each 8-hour work day. I was cramped, sore, and sweaty all week, but it was for sure the mental break that I needed after working so hard all semester and right before finals week.

Some of us eating lunch on a bench on a nice cliff area

Even though I’m taking a break, here is the trails where we were working each day to tamper down

Me drilling in nails to make a bench

The whole gang on a beautiful overpass

Morning view of a hike in the National Park

Views from the top of Devil’s Marbleyard, a popular hiking spot

THE Natural Bridge in Natural Bridge, Virginia

Our Alternative Spring Break was sponsored by the American Hiking Society, who sent out an amazing photographer named Wes to take photos of us working and enjoying the beautiful scenery. This is a trip I would highly recommend to anyone who likes to be outdoors or volunteer, because you not only get to give back, but you make some amazing friends along the wayâ˜ș

 

Tyra Gwalthney is a Junior Dual Major in Law and Justice and Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management in the Honors Concentration. Alongside HerCampus- and being a HerCampus Trendsetter- she also is the Vice President of the Animal Advocacy Club, and enjoys volunteering as often as she can. She loves dogs, summer, the beach, and anything involving chocolate. Want to chat? Email: gwalthnet0@students.rowan.edu