About Me: Mary Cushman

My name is Mary Cushman and I am a junior Family Science major. I am super excited to be taking part of my first alternative break trip! I am eager to learn more about the issue of Domestic Violence and ways in which I can make a difference! It is a very important issue and I think I will get a lot out of our time in Knoxville.

I decided to do an alternative break because I enjoy doing service projects but I don't do enough. I also have a passion for issues such as Domestic Violence and believe it is an issue that is too often covered up and silenced. Hopefully during and after this trip we/I can work to reduce the stigma that victims often feel and help spread awareness. I can't wait to see what this week has to offer!

A little more info about me... I am from Rochester NY and decided to come to Maryland to play volleyball. I am also a huge fan of hockey and soccer. I am the youngest of 4 and am extremely close to my family. I am obsessed with country music- Carrie Underwood in particular :) I love being outside and exploring and cant wait for the warm weather in Tennessee! I enjoy learning about people and making new relationships and I am sure I will do both of those during our trip!

Sunday: Museum of Appalachia

On our off day, we all got a taste of some Knoxville culture with museums, a hike, and some bluegrass. The day started with going to the Museum of Appalachia, where we got an overview of the culture of the historic Appalachian Mountains. There were buildings, such as the Hall of Fame that had various collected artifacts ranging from banjos, World War II weapons, and quilts. Each piece in the museum had a story that made it unique and one of a kind. Even though one could come upon something as simple as a bench, the story would reveal a murder scandal that rocked the town in its time. There were also other smaller buildings such as a church and replica's of people's homes. The museum even had some adorable lambs, weird cow (bull?), some great home cooked food, and cute tourist items. The new experience was wrapped up with a successful attempt at petting the cat that roamed around the shop. All in all, it was pretty cool.

SUN: Museum, Hiking, and Bluegrass!

Saturday: The Drive Down South

We made it safe and sound to Knoxville!! The drive wasn't too bad, we made it to our host sight by seven. Along the way we stopped for lunch at taco bell somewhere in Virginia and actually met another ASB team from Appalachian State University that was heading home after a service trip in the Bronx. The weather in Knoxville has been beautiful so far, when we arrived it was already sunset but it wasn't too cold. Everyone here has been super friendly - good ole' southern hospitality at work. A successful dinner of spaghetti was served and we all bonded after playing a game of "hot seat." Can't wait to see what the rest of the week holds for service and adventures.

Baking and Bonding

 Here are some pictures I took of the Knoxville ASB team baking cupcakes to fundraise for our trip! It was so much fun to see everyone working as a team to get the job done. If the bonding night was any indication of how much fun our trip is going to be, we will be such good friends by the end of this. Thanks for being such a great team, guys! 

Step One: Find the Ingredients

Step Two: Combine the Ingredients

Step Three: Put the batter into cupcake tins 

 Step Four: Breaktime! Time for some photos...

 Step Five: Back to the Batter!

Step Six: Taste the Batter (My favorite step, of course) 

Step Seven: Bake the cupcakes and cookies! 

Step Eight: Frost the Cupcakes 

Step Nine: Enjoy! 

Pictures by: Mia Simon, Knoxville ASB '13

About Me: Mia Simon

Hey Y’all!

My name is Mia, and I am a sophomore broadcast journalism major. This is my first alternative break experience at Maryland, but I went to New Orleans to build houses the summer after my senior year in high school! I am entirely too excited for this trip, along with everyone who is a part of it.

I chose this trip as my top choice, because I have always felt that helping domestic violence victims is a really important issue. Growing up, my mom always taught me about the issue, so I have always been interested in helping to fight it. Now that opportunity has been presented to me, I am excited to learn all about it.

But here’s some stuff about me…

I am a staff writer for HerCampus.com and I cover Men’s soccer and lacrosse for WMUC Sports Radio on campus. I’m also in CP Scholars, hailing from the best group there is: Media, Self, and Society. I’m a huge sports fan, and want to work in the sports industry one day! My favorite teams are the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Tigers, Maryland Men’s Soccer and Men’s and Women’s Basketball!

I am easily confused, and love to laugh a lot. I also love making mixed CDs for my friends! I listen to such a wide range of music, and love exposing my friends to different artists. I also thoroughly enjoy Twitter, but do not like using Instagram at all. As the person who will be taking most of the photos on the trip (I’m into photography, as well!) do not expect to see collages put together using Instagram, haha!

Well that’s it for now! I am really excited for what the future holds for our group! 

About Me - Natalie Vinski

Hi everyone! I am thrilled to join the AB Knoxville crew as a Staff Adviser. I have been a Program Coordinator with the Global Communities Living Learning Program at UMD since 2011 and this is my first experience with Alternative Breaks. I am really excited to visit and perform service in a new city and learn more about issues related to domestic violence.

A little bit about my background: I came to UMD after completing a one-year Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) fellowship at a public university in Casablanca, Morocco. Prior to that I lived and worked in Boston where I directed the Office of International Education Programs at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. During that time I co-led student travel programs to Egypt and South Africa.

I hold a Master’s degree in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA and a Bachelor’s degree in American Cultural Studies from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. As an undergraduate student I studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic through the School for International Training. In summer 2012, I traveled to Bangalore, India through a Faculty/Staff International Development grant awarded by the University Study Abroad Consortium (USAC).

See you soon!

Natalie