About 120 North Dakota State University students will participate in the “Pay It Forward” service tour set for March 11-19. Three busloads of students will use spring break to journey to other parts of the country, helping charitable organizations with a variety of projects through the sponsorship of the Students Today Leaders Forever organization.
During the Pay It Forward tours, students participate in projects ranging from outdoor cleanup tasks to working at schools, building houses for Habitat for Humanity to assisting at thrift stores.
NDSU junior Megan Piper, a family and consumer sciences education major from Casselton, N.D., participated in the service tour a year ago, and she’s excited to go again. “We travel from city to city, and my favorite part is making a difference. It’s an amazing experience,” she said. “Being with people who care is wonderful. The friends I made last year will be my friends for life.”
One group of students will make stops in Dubuque, Iowa; Champaign, Ill.; Lexington, Ky.; Charleston, W.V.; Richmond, Va.; and Washington, D.C.
Another busload of students will participate in volunteer activities in New Lisbon, Wis.; La Porte, Ind.; Cleveland; Niagara Falls, N.Y.; Scranton, Pa.; and Washington, D.C.
The third group travels west, with stops in Miles City and Bozeman, Mont.; Idaho Falls, Idaho; Provo, Utah; Glenwood Springs, Colo.; and Denver.
“The biggest thing with Pay It Forward trips is that you not only get to do service projects in different communities, but you build so many great relationships with people you go to school with,” explained Nick Welch, a senior majoring in electrical engineering from Moorhead, who previously went on a service tour when he was a freshman. “It’s definitely an interesting experience as a participant and leader to travel to various cities throughout the nation. We are able to have an impact in those communities.”
Stephanie Erickson, a junior from Fargo who majoring in electrical engineering, is participating in her fifth Pay It Forward trip. “Going on these tours is something I am really passionate about,” Erickson said. “College students have a lot to offer and devoting our spring break to having fun while serving others is a great cause.”
Students Today Leaders Forever is a group of students engaged in leadership by creating positive life experiences. Its mission is to reveal leadership through service, relationships and action. The group was founded in 2003 by a group of young people ages 17-19.