A Day In The Life: Buck-I-Serv

“Travel, learn, serve”

Since their founding in 2003, Buck-I-SERV has hosted more than 800 trips (both domestic and international), served more than 350,000 hours and has had more than 10,000 participants in their programs. Their mission? To provide students with a challenging and engaging opportunity to lead and learn through service experiences.

Buck-I-SERV will host 32 total trips this winter, both domestically and internationally. Some locations include Alabama, Washington DC, Florida, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Guatemala, Ghana, Uruguay and Costa Rica.

Asher Warchal and Daniella Saul are both heavily involved with planning and participating in Buck-I-SERV trips, and they gave us a glimpse into the world of Buck-I-SERV:

Daniella has participated in two trips: one to Habitat for Humanity in Oklahoma and one to York River State Park in Virginia.

Asher has participated in eight trips: Heartland in Minnesota twice, the Gay Men’s Health Crisis in New York City, three Medici project trips to New York City, Atlanta and Nashville, and to Chicago with Misericordia.

The Life of a Buck-I-SERV Participant

Buck-I-SERV’s ultimate goal is to get students more engaged with the world around them and to want to make changes in their lives. To reflect this, before and after your trip, Buck-I-SERV hosts pre and post-trip meetings for leaders to acquaint them with the social justice topic and for trip participants to learn more about their location. Once you make it to your destination, participants are typically housed in churches or hostels.

When you wake up, you’ll make breakfast with your team and get ready for the day. You either will drive or walk to your service site. Participants will volunteer around 30 hours per week for each trip, almost seven hours each day. On day one, you will do a mini orientation with your Project Leader. In the morning, you will work on a project and then have lunch on-site. After lunch, you will work on another project.

For nearly every trip, evenings are free. Every night before bed, trip leaders will host a reflection. We process what happened that day, why it is important, what we can improve for tomorrow and how it affects our daily lives. This is the most important part of our trips:

“The difference between volunteering and service is reflection.”

What has Buck-I-SERV taught you?

Daniella: I went on my first trip not knowing what to expect at all, I actually had a friend suggest I go. If I’m being honest, the trip completely re-aligned my values. Being at such a large school, things can be very competitive and it’s easy to get wrapped up in the hustle of getting ahead. After returning from my trip, I felt so much more aware of the world around me and who I wanted to be in it.

Asher: My very first semester I applied to be a trip leader. It was very strange being an 18-year-old leading fifth-year seniors. I was very shy and introverted, and doing Buck-I-SERV was a way to get me out of my comfort zone. Going on a trip with groups of people you have never met is the definition of outside your comfort zone. Not only were the people on my trips great, but the people I met once there were amazing. I keep coming back to Buck-I-SERV because I have made some of my best friends on these trips, and people that have impacted me in so many ways.

Why should you take the leap?

Asher: I gained so many skills that I never would’ve gained otherwise. My ability to speak in front of groups, to facilitate activities, to serve, to have meaningful conversations has helped me as a person, but will also help me in my career. My advice is that you gain so much if you are open to learning — skills, friendship, experience. It is invaluable.

Daniella: Its just one week — take the leap. My advice is to be open-minded, flexible and remember you are there to serve and learn more about yourself. You will learn so much if you embrace these trips.

Asher: It is hard to put into words how much this organization has taught me. The people here truly care about and believe in these experiences, and you can feel it. We really care about our partners and participants, and the culture really reflects this.

Daniella: It is so easy to see Buck-I-SERV as a place that people go when “they have the money to go, and just want to travel” — people can sometimes see the trips as being very externally facing. However, we make sure participants come back with the intention of carrying the trip with them. It is not an experience that you leave behind, but rather one that re-orients you as an individual and that you can bring back to your community.

Spring and Summer applications are open on December 8. Learn more about trip locations and application details by visiting the Buck-I-SERV website.