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The Carroll School of Management Honors Program was one of 10 college undergraduate organizations across the country to receive a grant from the Liberty Mutual Responsible Scholars “Alternative Spring Break Grants” program.
The program received $2,500 to travel to New Orleans’ St. Bernard Parish to spend the last week of winter break (Feb. 28-March 4) building homes for families. During the trip, 15 BC students helped rebuild a home for a family separated since Hurricane Katrina, allowing all three generations to once again live together. The group also spent time learning about the social and economic impact of the storm as well as the role New Orleans’s unique culture plays in the city’s ongoing relief efforts.
“We wanted to give our time, passion, and hard work to those who need it most,” said Anna Trieschmann ’13, who wrote the grant. “Students in the Honors Program encourage each other to develop as corporate and community leaders of the future and, by undertaking an annual service trip, members of the CSOM Honors Program strive to someday become not only educated but also socially minded business people.
“At Boston College, we all hope to do well for ourselves and for our future families, but it is equally important to do good work for the betterment of the community. This balance is imperative to a healthy society.”
CSOM Associate Professor of Business Law Stephanie Greene, director of the CSOM Honors Program, praised Trieschmann and trip co-organizer junior John Kelly for their efforts, and expressed appreciation to Liberty Mutual for providing “a tremendous boost to the students’ fundraising.”
Greene said the participants — some of whom were “seasoned workers” while others “including me, were experiencing mudding, sanding and putting up walls for the first time” — were “stunned to learn how much work remains to be done to get families back into their homes.” A return trip to New Orleans is planned for next year, she said.