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

About Me: Amber

Hi everyone!

My name is Amber Ferguson and I'm super excited to be participating in the Alternative Spring Break trip to Knoxville, TN. I recently transfered to UMD from Prince George's Community College where I received my A.A. degree last spring. I'm currently a junior History major and U.S. Latina/o Studies minor.

My mom was in the Air Force for 25 years so I've lived many places but my favorite place had to be England. I love fish & chips and following all the news concerning Kate & Prince William. In my free time I like to write, take cooking classes, and watch t.v. I also like to hula hoop and keep up with current events.

I'm looking forward to addressing the issue of domestic violence in marginalized communities because I feel like a lot of people don't talk about it but it's such a prevalent problem that needs to be highlighted more. To fundraise I think our group could host a bingo competition where we sell tickets for people to play. Who doesn't like to win prizes?

Fundraising Ideas!

Hello everyone! 

Please comment on this post with any fundraising ideas you have for our spring group fundraiser! 

Thanks

About Me: Nick

Hey All!

My name is Nicholas, but you can call me Nick, and I'm the other trip leader for the Knoxville trip. This is also my first time being a trip leader but I did go on 2 trips last year and my sister was an intern for the program last year so don't worry, me and Sydney know what we're doing. I'm a Junior Criminology and Criminal Justice major with the aspirations of working on policy reform to create a more socially just society.

I'm from New Carrollton Maryland which is only a few miles away from campus. Not that it is a competition but I have Sydney beat, my house has 7 cats (tho only 4 stay inside all the time). For some reason we attract them like a plague. Currently I am the Vice President of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapter on campus. I believe that all social issues are related in some degree and constantly tie drug policy to all of the different issues. I am currently an adult leader in my former Boy Scout troop where as a youth I earned the Eagle Scout award. Until yesterday, when I turned 21, I was also a member of the venture crew. Due to boy scouts I'm fairly knowledgeable about and enjoy outdoorsy activities such as camping, hiking, rock climbing, caving, white water rafting, and more. I also have a passion for music and play guitar and sing for fun (if possible I will definitely bring my guitar on the trip, fingers crossed).

I will bring unique perspectives to the trip (aside from being the only guy). I also have a pretty good sense of humor, tho most of the time I just make myself laugh. As I said earlier I was a boy scout so I'm always thinking ahead and plan to be prepared to handle anything this trip throws at us. I'm excited to get to know all of my participants better as we continue to interact before and during the trip.

That's all I have for now. Knoxville is gonna be awesome!

About Me: Sydney

Hola!

My name is Sydney and I am excited to be leading my first Alternative Breaks Trip to Knoxville, TN. I am a sophomore History major as well as pursuer of the Latin American Studies certificate. My favorite class this semester has been my seminar on philanthropy; it enabled me to have the opportunity learn about the process of philanthropy while applying the principles in real life. Over winterterm, I will be traveling to Chile for three weeks! Whoo!

I like to play soccer, make friendship bracelets, and sing to the radio in the car. I am a horrible cook except at making breakfast. At home in Georgia, I have three cats named Professor, Quincy, and Gimpy (she has a defective leg but likes to snuggle). My spirit animal is probably a hedgehog.

I think that I will bring optimism to our group as well as extreme organization. I can already tell that our group is a great mixture of diverse talents, knowledge, and personalities. I look forward to learning more about our issue as well as facilitating activities that will enable you guys to learn too.

We will definitely be taking a group jump picture at some point. I love jump pictures!

And that's a bit about me...!
:)

Welcome Welcome Welcome to ASB Knoxville!

Hey Everyone! 

I just want to welcome you to the ASB Knoxville, TN Team! It was so great to meet some of you at the Alternative Breaks Kickoff, and I look forward to meeting everyone at our first meeting!

Blog to you soon, 
Sydney