Having the opportunity to feel as though you’ve truly made a positive impact on the lives of others is undoubtedly a rewarding experience, and this was exactly what I was seeking when I signed up for an eight day community service trip to Puerto Rico. What I ended up receiving, however, was far more enriching, humbling, and life-altering than I had originally expected. Our main task was to make batches of cement for houses a day in the community of Villa del Rillo. Lots of Puerto Rican houses, mostly in the poorer areas, still haven’t recovered from the effects of Hurricane Hugo, which hit the island almost three decades ago. Difficult manual labor directly under the oppressive heat for hours every day left us sore, dirty, and tired, but gratified.
