I never thought there were any alternatives to study abroad coming in as a freshman here at UMass Amherst. All of my previous advisors had told me that I have to go abroad as a Spanish major and that was it. It wasn’t until taking the Spanish 394 class with Luis Marentes that I found out about being able to work with students at the Holyoke Boys and Girls Club counted as my integrative experience requirement. People ask me if I regret the decision of choosing this over studying abroad, but my answer is always the same. I overtly enjoyed my experience at the Holyoke Boys and Girls Club ever since the first day I started there. I was immersed right away with no training or expectance, but it took me out of my comfort zone and gave me great confidence. I was surrounded by students who immediately asked if I could help them with their homework or if I could check and see what a great job they had done already. I was taken by surprise the amount of staff that welcomed me. They appreciated all the help they could get, but it did not end up being a regular volunteering service I was giving. To me it was a place where I could make connections with students and just being there for them with whatever problems they needed help with. There were days where students would just want me to help them with homework, and that took up most of the time. However, there were students who also just wanted to talk and get to know me better which made me feel like I was doing something right, making myself more approachable.

I had some great memories volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club, including making paper flowers and other arts and crafts, playing in tournaments of one of my favorite childhood games, Mancala, for hours at a time, but the day I will remember most is the last day. I’ve gotten to know all of the students by then and I remember one of them was singing a song she had learned while playing on the swings. I wondered to myself, what song could that possibly be? I have never heard that before. In my head I was curious so I asked her, and all she said was the song lyrics over and over again. I laughed, but I was still not sure if she just made it up, but as it turns out all of the students started singing and doing the choreographed dance that went with it. They all tried teaching me how to do it, and I must admit they were a lot better at it than I was, but that day I had finally connected with all of the students and had so much fun while doing it. We took snap chats and pictures that I wish I could’ve saved.

Weeks later after my time at the Boys and Girls Club was over, I was driving around town one day over the summer. All the sudden I hear the lyrics of “Don’t Mind” by Kent Jones on the radio. I thought to myself, where have I heard this before it sounds so familiar? Then it hit me. It was the same song the students were trying to teach me on my last day. A smile had lit up my face and I then started blasting the song trying to sing along. I have those students to thank for making that song so memorable as well as my time being there in general. It was a wonderful experience and I would do it all over again if I had the time. I still have my membership card so maybe one day I will go back and surprise those students, but now I have something more than that to remember my experience forever.