Alicia Volunteers in Belize & Sligo

Hello friends, family, and supporters!!

You are here to hear about two AMAZING opportunities I have the chance to engage in through Carlow University. Each is unique and offers something different, so I would like to talk about them one at a time. However, both are a part of the Carlow Cares initiative which is a program offered by Carlow to allow students to volunteer. This program provides students a way to give back to those in need, serving our core value of Mercy Service. As someone who is in a Master's of Professional Counseling program, I know how important it is to take time out of my life and focus on someone else in need. It is through my acts of service and giving that I can truly make a difference for others and in turn impact our world. 

I will break down each trip below. I will also share why I want to engage in the trip in a professional and volunteering level as well as some of the personal experiences and gains I will get from each experience.


Carlow Cares: Belize, Mexico (1 week spring break trip)
Professional/Service Interests:
Carlow Cares Belize provides the opportunity to engage in service with individuals who are impoverished and often struggling to get by in many ways. During my time here, I will support them through serving meals at a church and teaching a short lesson at a local school. I will get the opportunity to not only serve these individuals, but hopefully also hear more about their lives and stories. I can provide comfort, care, and a smile throughout all of this and help give back to others less fortunate than myself. I will also be able to learn more about those in this kind of situation and can use that knowledge to inform my counseling practice in the future.

Personal Gains/Interest:
I am a traveler at heart. I have always wanted to see the world in as many ways as I can. Belize provides me the opportunity to see areas of Central America - a place in the world I have never been and I have not traveled anywhere that would be similar to this environment. This trip also provides me with some experiences which I have always wanted to engage in. A big check for my bucket list is visiting a Coral Reef. During the Belize trip, I will have the opportunity to go snorkeling in the second largest coral reef in the WORLD (from island Ambergris Caye). With the environmental concerns our world faces, such as the slow disappearance of the Great Barrier Reef, I am eager to get to see this aspect of our world. I am an avid caretaker of the environment and often try to make better choices when I can, such as carrying my reusable coffee mug many places with me. My dad and I also often pull trash out of areas where we visit when we go fishing. During the Belize trip, I will have the opportunity to help collect trash on a beach which for me is a personal and service interest! I will also have the opportunity to go cave tubing and visit Mayan ruins.

Belize will allow me to immerse myself in a new setting and culture which I have no experience. I believe this opportunity will provide me with new perspectives in my professional life as well as amazing personal stories to bring home to family and friends!


Carlow Cares: Sligo, Ireland (3 week trip from May-June)
Professional/Service Interests:
As with the Belize trip, Carlow Cares Sligo provides an opportunity for students to give back to others. In Sligo, I will be placed in a field placement with 45 hours of hands on experience in a school or community setting. I will be able to assist with daily activities in an important local service provider. I do not yet know where I would be placed, but I know I will be placed based on my area of study. Students are often placed in setting with special needs individuals. As many of you know, I am employed in a special needs high school and supporting my students is very important to me. I think this experience would provide me more perspective into the lives of those who need my help and provide me with more opportunities to grow and learn before I start practicing counseling when I graduate.
As this trip is a bit farther off, I do not have any more information at this time, but I know this will be an invaluable learning opportunity for me!

Personal Gains/Interest:
I have been to Ireland before, however in a very different location. I truly enjoyed my time on the Emerald Isle and would love to further explore this area. I also have been told from family members that I may have some Irish heritage. Perhaps that is where the connection I felt stems from! By engaging in this trip, I will be able to explore more areas of Ireland and get a sense of what other communities on the island are like. I have been told Sligo is a very different community setting than where I previously visited, Carlow. I am excited to learn more about Irish culture and see more places which I was unable to visit on my first trip several years ago!

I truly believe these experiences would be extremely beneficial to me in professional ways, but also very enjoyable for personal reasons. It is my hope that others understand the valuable service I can provide others on these trips and that it is about more than me getting to travel more. However, I will be honest I am very excited about being able to travel again! Please feel free to reach out to me for more information or to talk about this! I would love to share my passion with each of you!!

ANY donation amount will help me reach my goal! I would appreciate any support from you :]

The requested amount for this GoFundMe is not the full price of the trips, but would be about half of the anticipated costs. These costs are just to cover the essentials including required course credits, flights, housing, some meals, and excursions. I will be working part time to save up some of my own money, however due to needing to complete my internships for my degree I had to take unpaid time off from my typical job. So any support would be amazing!