Valparaiso University Students Embody Leadership and Service on Spring Break Service Trips
During Spring Break 2025, Valparaiso University students traded sun and sand for service and solidarity, traveling to communities in need through the University’s Spring Break service trips. These experiences, deeply rooted in Valpo’s mission of leadership and service, provided students the opportunity to engage meaningfully with communities affected by natural disasters and economic hardship.
Each year, nearly half of Valparaiso University’s students participate in community service, contributing over 247,000 hours of community outreach and service-learning each academic year.
For Esther Steinke ’25, senior social work major and peer minister, this year’s trip to Tennessee marked her third Spring Break service trip — an experience she described as central to her Valpo journey. “Being able to go out and see a different part of our country and meet different people and serve their communities… it has shaped how I want to show up in the world.”
This year, Steinke and her team traveled to Greenville, Tennessee, where they partnered with a local church to assist with disaster relief following severe flooding. The group began their journey with an educational visit to the Underground Railroad Museum, setting the stage for a week of service grounded in historical context and social justice. Upon arrival, the students were welcomed by a local pastor, who shared the struggles and resilience of the community in the wake of the disaster.
Throughout the week, students worked on rebuilding homes, clearing debris, and connecting with local residents who had lost everything. One particularly moving experience for Steinke was meeting an elderly woman whose home had been nearly destroyed. “We were able to clean and build her home while hearing her story. That was just amazing.”
Beyond the physical work, students found moments of reflection, bonding, and community-building. They shared meals with residents, attended an Ash Wednesday service, and engaged in discussions about faith and service.
The trip also offered unexpected moments of joy, from camaraderie formed while digging trenches to discovering a single word — “hope” — drawn from dust and debris on the window of an abandoned business. “Throughout the trip we saw so much art, so much hope,” Steinke reflected. “It’s inspiring how people still find beauty and joy even in this scary and unknown time.”
Melanie Padilla ’27, first-generation college student and sports management major, carried Valpo’s mission closer to home and found that storytelling was a defining aspect of her Spring Break service trip experience as well. Serving as a student-leader for the trip traveling throughout Chicago and surrounding areas, Melanie shared how the first part of their journey simply involved listening to powerful stories. “We visited the Pullman National Monument, which is Chicago’s first national park. It was fascinating to see an entire historic town still inhabited today,” she recounted. The group also attended a performance of “A Raisin in the Sun” at a university in Chicago, which deeply moved the students as they learned about racial injustices through the lens of art. “It brought me to tears,” Melanie admitted. “The play portrayed the struggles of an African American family striving for their dreams, and it was incredibly powerful.”
Another impactful experience was the visit to the Indiana Dunes during the Maple Sugar Time Festival. Students braved the cold for a three-hour hike while learning about indigenous communities and the history of the land. They also partnered with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to engage in environmental service at the Seidner Dune and Swale Preserve, removing invasive plant species and learning about the ecological impact of non-native flora.
The group’s community service extended to Little Village in Chicago, where they learned about the efforts to build a safe and accessible park for local children. They helped clean the area and participated in the Northwest Indiana Food Council FarmHer to Mama program, packing care packages filled with fresh produce and supplies for mothers in need.
A particularly moving moment occurred in Gary, Indiana, where students visited a community garden run by a local woman who believes no one should ever go hungry. “She doesn’t even fence it off — anyone can come and take what they need,” Melanie explained. “She plants specifically what the community asks for — greens, garlic, cabbage — and it was inspiring to see how something as simple as a garden can bring people together.”
Throughout the trip, students reflected on the impact of service beyond physical work. “At first, I wondered, ‘Am I actually serving by just listening to these stories?’” Melanie said. “But then I realized that by learning and sharing these experiences, we’re bringing awareness and inspiring others to take action.”
The experience also reinforced the importance of community and environmental awareness. “Driving through the area, I was struck by how close the national parks were to industrial sites. It really made me more aware of the environment and the impact we have on it,” she reflected.
As the students departed at the end of the week, they left behind more than rebuilt homes and tended gardens and parks — they left lasting relationships and a renewed commitment to serving others. “The relationships that we formed on this trip, both with each other and with the people around us, are very special,” Steinke said. “And I’m really thankful and honored to have been a part of this trip.”
Through experiences like these Spring Break service trips, Valpo students are empowered to make meaningful contributions, both in their local communities and beyond, embodying the University’s mission to integrate faith and learning in service to others. Valparaiso University remains committed to providing students with transformative experiences that cultivate leadership, service, and an understanding of our community and the broader world.
