To serve, with love
Cardinals serve communities far and wide (and close to home) to learn what it means to be an engaged citizen December 9, 2025
When Chelsea Owens ’13 boarded a plane for the first time, she was en route to Cebu, Philippines. A journey that would take 24 hours.
“The first flight that we had was from Louisville to Atlanta. It's early in the morning. We're rushing to get to the airport. My passport had just come in the day before. And so, for me, it was just a lot of nerves,” Owens said. “I leaned on my classmates a lot. Once we got in the air, I felt like I was okay. And then the landing that was something different. But other than that, now I'm a pro.”
That trip took place 12 years ago as part of UofL’s International Service Learning Program (ISLP). Open to every student and major, ISLP immerses individuals in meaningful work that serves communities and broadens one’s understanding of cultures and global issues. Students engage in a semester-long course centered around a topic or theme and then travel to a destination during a typical semester or summer break period.
The Philippines trip is one of ISLP’s longest-running partnerships. For more than 15 years, UofL has collaborated with the Mountain Barangay of Cebu School District. In 2012, Owens and other students worked on teacher-selected projects for an education-based course.
“The students made us feel like family with them,” she said. “We were there to teach them, but they taught us so much. And then for the teachers to let us come into the classroom and disrupt the norm, that's something that still sticks with me. It just felt more like family and community than service.”
The next generation
Owens went on the trip with fellow alumna Danielle Lavender ’13, ’15, ’24, who now works in UofL’s Campus Recreation Department. Lavender returned to the Philippines in 2024 as a chaperone, going back to the same school she had worked with as a student.
“The way a parent feels watching their kids go through an experience is a lot how I felt watching the students experience this trip,” Lavender said.
For Lavender, traveling is about more than seeing new places. It’s about opening yourself to new people, something the ISLP trips emphasize to those who experience them.
“You’re forced to expand,” she said. “You can have your own specific hubs of friends you hang out with. You may be out of your small town, or even your big town, but you really choose who you’re around. With traveling, especially globally, you don’t get to pick the people you rely on. You have to have that love for your common man and that I’m-just-a-speck-in-the-universe mentality.”
Purpose with a view
While personal growth is a major part of these trips, ISLP isn’t a vacation – it’s structured service work with a purpose.
“In keeping with our mission to be community based, all service projects are based on the combination of skills our students have and needs the community has, and all accommodations, meals and excursions are with locally-owned and operated businesses,” said Olive Dreckman, director of the Office of Service Learning and Civic Engagement (SLCE).
These trips are interdisciplinary, bringing together students from various majors to collaborate on projects that have a tangible impact on the host communities.
This winter, students will travel to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for a week with a focus on youth services. Students can take a communications or nursing course as part of the experience and participation is open to undergraduate, graduate and online students.
“These trips are great options for our students who can’t get away for a semester, maybe have work or childcare needs, but still want to experience learning outside of a traditional classroom,” Dreckman said.
The challenges students are introduced to across the country and world on our programs are also present in our own community. Our neighbors are experiencing these challenges daily, and we have the opportunity to walk alongside them long-term through local service.
– Alarah Gillum, community engagement specialist
Service in the United States
While global experiences are one way students serve, UofL also provides meaningful opportunities closer to home, such as the Alternative Service Break (ASB) program. ASB offers an affordable way for students to travel throughout the U.S. and engage in hands-on service. These short-term experiences allow students to learn about social issues, support local economies and explore what civic engagement means to them.
During the summer 2025 trip to Puerto Rico, a typical day for Alfred Gonzales ’25 began at 6 a.m. with breakfast, followed by work at 7 a.m. Around 8 a.m., students split into teams to assist the local organization Happy Givers with farm work, household chores and food distribution. They also connected with residents until a break for lunch, returning to work afterward. At 3 p.m., he and his classmates were able to start exploring the community. Gonzales found that working alongside locals gave him an authentic experience.
"It was a really good way to see the whole process of how food is distributed within the community," Gonzales said.
Many students on these trips also recognize that their week of service won't drastically change an entire region or community, instead, the experience often inspires them to make a difference in their own lives. Elysee Hermes ’24, who participated in a trip to Virginia Beach, said she was inspired to be more eco-friendly in her daily routine.
"I've seen trash on the side of highways and rivers and everything, but actually doing the trash cleanup is different," Hermes said. "We were only out there for maybe two hours and yet we filled so many trash bags. That was really sad to see. And to know they have volunteers do this really frequently, and the trash just keeps piling up ... it makes you never want to litter."
Locally grounded
Service isn’t only about travel. UofL also encourages students to engage with their own communities through local programs and volunteer opportunities. To centralize service learning at the university, UofL established SLCE in 2024 under the Division of Student Affairs. The office empowers students to make a positive impact locally and globally through ISLP, ASB and local days of service.
Since its founding, SLCE has worked hard to highlight that issues like education access and environmental sustainability are not just concerns in distant cities – they exist in our own communities, too.
A key component is connecting students with opportunities for local action. After her ASB trip to Washington, D.C., to learn about food insecurity, third-year student Allison VanDyke was given a list of Louisville, Kentucky, organizations to volunteer with. This inspired her to start volunteering at a local food pantry in Indianapolis, Indiana, when she was home for the summer.
"They really encourage us to take it upon ourselves to get involved locally," VanDyke said. "Service is a great way to feel more at home in a place.”
Students can also participate in local days of service in Louisville, such as neighborhood cleanups with Russell Place of Promise or clearing new hiking trails with Jefferson Memorial Forest.
"The challenges students are introduced to across the country and world on our programs are also present in our own community,” said Community Engagement Specialist Alarah Gillum. “Our neighbors are experiencing these challenges daily, and we have the opportunity to walk alongside them long-term through local service."
What UofL’s service-learning programs show is that learning, growth and service are strongest when students engage with real people, real communities and real challenges. While a single trip or experience may not change the world, it can certainly change a person. And that inspiration for a lifelong commitment to making a difference is what Cardinals are all about.
Learn more about these programs and get involved
Explore more stories from the fall/winter 2025 issue of UofL Magazine.
Audrie is a communications and marketing specialist in the Office of Communications & Marketing, where she highlights how UofL redefines student success. With a background in government communications, she brings a deep understanding of public service and the art of connecting with diverse audiences. Audrie holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Bellarmine University, with minors in history and political science.
UofL Magazine is the university's premier magazine for alumni and friends. To submit story ideas, provide feedback or contact the editor, please email editor@louisville.edu.
