No more Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, but more Nutella-based
concoctions. No more strangers, but 10 more new friends. I’m no longer naïve; I’m now more aware of
this beautiful city of Harlan. ‘Til the day I cross these borders again, I will
always remember the miners and the history. Thank you to Harlan, my new home
away from home. –Sabrina A. Coaxum
I realized that I could survive without coffee; all I needed
was the bright, shining faces of my AB group and the warm, southern hospitality
of the Harlan community. I’ve learned so much about myself through our
impactful service and have grown as an individual because of it. I look forward
to heading back to UMD tomorrow to continue my growth as an active citizen. I
want to empower somebody. I desire to increase understanding among diverse
communities. I yearn to instill hope.
Thank you for inspiring me, Harlan. I will share your story.
P.s. I can finally say that I
have been in three places at once. :) –Emilio A. Rivera
In all honesty, I never
expected a service trip to impact me in such a huge way. I was definitely
surprised by Harlan. I don’t think I’ve ever connected with so many people,
thought about so many different social issues, laughed so hard, or eaten so
many Nutella sandwiches in my entire life! I’m so thankful for my amazing team.
I don’t know what I would have done without them. And I’m so happy to have made
such a huge impact in this community. Through this trip I’ve learned so much
about myself, and I think I’ve helped others empower themselves as well, and
that is truly a blessing. Haboob! – Chloe
Harlan is a beautiful city.
You might not notice all the greatness this city contains at first glance, but
if you give it a chance it will grow on you. From this journey I have learned
more about this region and more about myself. Many of the people that we met did not live
glamorous lives or have everything single thing they wanted but they were happy
and satisfied. They were proud of the city they grew up in and the family that they
had and the friends they made along the way. Harlan citizens are resilient,
magnificent stars. I hope to follow in their footsteps and learn to appreciate
and be satisfied with what I already possess.
I made a lot of new friends and had tons of fun. I hope I can see them
again someday and that all our plans do not simply become empty promises.
However, even if that were to happen I still wish them all the best and hope
they are successful in all their future endeavors.
- Ashley
Thank you, Harlan, for
bringing me much-needed perspective and letting all of us from UMD know that an
“I love you” can come from a few minutes’ knowing each other. All week, I
struggled to find where I fit into the Harlan community and where this
experience, in turn, would fit into my life. I have goals from the floor to the
ceiling and assumed my time in Kentucky would be one to check off my list.
Instead, Harlan has brought the loose ends together and given me focus for my
aspirations – personally and professionally. The people I met here showered me
with love and encouragement, and my team challenged me to prioritize and stay
passionate in whatever I do. No, I don’t have it all figured out, and I have
yet to put my experience to good use. But I can say the sun shines bright on my
old Kentucky home (rather, the beautiful Camp Blanton), and I can ask the
age-old question: Turn down for what?
- Sophie
P.S. Much love
to Ellen, Evelyn, Marjorie and Sybil.
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