Transforming Service

Along what is likely the only paved road between the Santiago Airport and the Dominican Republic's capitol city of Santo Domingo, cans, hubcaps, and an assortment of other trash litter the ground below the lush canopy of tropical trees. Tiny shacks cleverly constructed from a patchwork of rusted tin, rotten plywood and what can only be described as storm debris pepper the brilliant green landscape.

"Most of the students who come on these trips have never been exposed to this level of poverty," said Mike Giancola, director of NC State's Center for Student Leadership, Ethics & Public Service (CSLEPS). "The culture shock can be pretty intense for some."

That's where the transformation begins for many NC State students. Year after year, they forgo a recreational spring break to participate in one of the university's week-long Alternative Service Break (ASB) programs, gaining exposure to cultures and experiences vastly different from the comforts of their American lives.

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