Alumni & Friends
Welcome to "In Case You Missed It" - where we share news, updates, and stories from across SNHU, just in case ... well ... you missed it.
For the past 20 years, SNHU students have been dedicating their spring breaks to meaningful service-based travel experiences to learn and reflect on complex social issues, making an impact in communities far and wide. This year, The Chandler Center at SNHU coordinated two groups of students to take part in the 2025 Alternative Break program and sponsored a third faculty-led trip for education students. These trips gave students an opportunity to explore community social issues and engage with local communities while fostering their development as active, globally minded citizens.
From March 2-9, a group of 12 SNHU students and two SNHU staff members traveled to Puerto Rico to partner with Community Collaborations International (CCI). This year’s Alternative Break in Puerto Rico focused on various environmental and social challenges including conservation and eco-system preservation, animal welfare, and community revitalization.
Students spent their days working on hands-on service projects contributing a total of 241 volunteer hours in just one week. Their work supported a variety of local organizations, from preparing urban garden lots with Esperanza Para la Vejez to tree planting with Eco Culture. Projects also included beach monitoring with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, cleaning at Luquillo Safe Haven animal shelter, gardening at Para la Naturaleza’s tree nursery and painting at Hosanna Christian Academy.
“Getting to help the community of Puerto Rico meant so much to me it brought a lot of new perceptions in my life,” shared first-year student Ezra Twahirwa. “Being able to spend time with my peers helping in Puerto Rico was such a rewarding process and I’m forever grateful for the experiences that I gained on the trip.”
In addition to their volunteer work, students had time to explore the island’s natural beauty, visiting local beaches and coral reefs, where they were able to learn about environmental preservation efforts first-hand.
Another group of SNHU students traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, to partner with the Medici Project. This trip focused on addressing human trafficking, an issue that remains critical on both a national and global scale.
From March 2-7, students worked on several impactful projects aimed at supporting survivors of trafficking. The group traveled to Atlanta to volunteer with organizations on the front lines of the fight against human trafficking, completing 219 hours of community service. They volunteered with Wellspring Duluth Treasures, Freedom Hill, Street Grace, House of Cherish and Frontline Response International, supporting survivor services, outreach efforts and prevention programs. Throughout the week, students deepened their understanding of the complex realities of sex trafficking in the Atlanta metro area and the powerful role of community-based solutions.
“Alternative Break this year was truly incredible! I went into the trip knowing little to nothing about human trafficking,” shared senior Kyle Furey. “Through meeting and hearing a survivor’s story firsthand, I learned the impact of human trafficking and how I could help spread awareness in my own community. There’s no better way to educate yourself about a social issue than hearing from real people affected by it in their own community.”
This trip offered students a powerful opportunity to learn about advocacy and prevention efforts through meaningful site visits to local organizations in the Atlanta area. They finished off their experience by dining with local alumni to reflect on their week of service and connection in a city rich with history and heart.
From March 3-7, seven SNHU education students traveled to Placencia, Belize, to work with students from pre-school age to 8th graders for a meaningful service-learning experience focused on global education and cross-cultural learning.
Led by Dr. Abigail Bergen, Assistant Professor in General Special Education at SNHU, the group partnered with the Placencia Village School to support local teachers and students.
Students worked with the principal and classroom teachers to create activities to target identified areas of need for the grade level. Lessons included sensory exploration, comprehension and rate. Students collaborated with the staff of the school to brainstorm ideas and lessons for struggling students.
“After only a couple of days in the community, kids were approaching our students in the community to say hi and talk about the school day,” shared Dr. Bergen. “The SNHU education students quickly became a part of the village, and it was evident that the village quickly had an everlasting impact on our SNHU students.”
Before leaving campus, SNHU students hosted a donation drive for school supplies to bring on the trip. Throughout the week in Palencia, the SNHU students completed 224 hours of service. The experience offered students the opportunity to apply their teaching skills in a real-world, international setting while gaining valuable insight into education systems abroad.
All three trips provided students with a unique combination of service-learning, cultural immersion and personal growth. The Alternative Break program and Faculty-Led Service trips are designed not only to make a difference in the community’s students serve, but also to foster empathy, critical thinking, and a broader understanding of global issues.
"These trips help our students view the world through different lenses, challenge their assumptions, and develop the skills they need to make a lasting impact, both in their communities and beyond,” shared Associate Director of The Chandler Center Kirsten Farrell.
Are you interested in connecting with SNHU students on their Alternative Break? Planning is already underway for 2026! Below are the locations and serving learning topics:
If you live in those areas and have a background connected to the serving learning topics, please contact alumni@snhu.edu.
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In April 2025, The Chandler Center celebrated another successful year of volunteerism and civic engagement at the15th annual Community Engagement Awards. The celebration was planned and run entirely by students, which included presentations from many student speakers recognizing their peers for their commitment and dedication to service. Students were recognized in 6 distinguished categories:
Alongside community and campus partners, attendees reflected on the past academic year-where the SNHU campus community completed more than 12,000 hours of community service through service-learning, college access programming, volunteering in the local community and participating in service-based travel experiences. 112 students were also recognized during the ceremony for completing 25 or more hours of service throughout the past year. Additionally, graduates who logged over 100 volunteer hours during their SNHU journey were honored with orange graduation cords. The graduates wore the cords at their Commencement ceremonies to represent their amazing accomplishment. View photos from the celebration.
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