Three Students Receive Service Abroad Scholarships from UA Parents Association

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama Parents Association has awarded three students, Courteney “Cory” Rice of Birmingham, Zachary Knight of Dallas, Texas, and Elizabeth Shahid of Birmingham, scholarships to participate in service abroad in the Dominican Republic this winter.

On Dec. 12, these students will travel to the Dominican Republic during the winter break to work in an orphanage and participate in Haiti relief efforts on an Alternative Break Trip coordinated by the UA Community Service Center. The scholarships awarded cover all expenses related to performing the community service.

Shahid, a junior studying human development said she “has a need to help children live the best life they can so that they can grow into kind, hard working, and self confident adults.” When she heard news that she received the scholarship she said, “I wouldn’t have been able to go on the trip without the scholarship.”

Knight, a sophomore studying international relations has participated in a previous service trip to Costa Rica.  He said he knows from previous experience that “the things I will learn about on this trip about the Dominican Republic, about my fellow volunteers, and about myself will be lessons that will help me understand the world and that will stick with me for a lifetime.”

Rice, a sophomore studying public relations is not new to service.  She began offering free swim lessons to children in Birmingham when she noticed a need and now serves as a volunteer tutor with the Literacy Is the Edge program in Tuscaloosa.  When she heard about the opportunity to assist in an orphanage in the Dominican Republic, she knew this was something she really wanted to do.

“I want to invest in their lives and help restore their hope for a brighter future,” Rice said. This will be Rice’s first international service effort. “Making this trip with my UA family, is yet another momentous event chronicled in my UA experience,” she noted.

In addition to service abroad, the Community Service Center will take students on a domestic trip to Waveland, Miss., for an Alternative Fall Break Oct. 29-30 to work with Habitat for Humanity.  The Parents Association awarded seven students with scholarships for this trip, including Kyle Frazier, FanFan Yin, Fnu Shalini, Breanna York, Ericha Turner, AnnaMaria Sebastino and Sarah Savage.

The Community Service Center, within the UA Division of Student Affairs, coordinates several Alternative Break programs each year.  This spring, students will travel to Greensboro, Guatemala and Canada, among others.  Prices for the trips range from $100-$1,700. For additional information regarding the trips visit www.volunteer.ua.edu

The UA Parents Association raises funds annually to sponsor student programs.  This is the second year that the Parents Association has provided scholarships to students wishing to participate in service trips.  Since the program began, the Parents Association has awarded 27 students with scholarships for Alternative Breaks.