Mar 23, 2014 3 min read

A three-week Collegiate Challenge, through which groups of students from Boston College, Concordia University and Fordham University each spent a week working on Habitat for Humanity houses in Greene County.

It’s hard not to be impressed with what a large number of college students have chosen to do over spring break.

Greene County wasn’t the only beneficiary of this unselfish commitment to help those in need. A group of 10 students from Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky., helped remodel a donated home in Cokeburg in Washington County.

Collegiate Challenge, which began in 1989 and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, invites students to spend one week working with Habitat affiliates across the country to build homes and improve communities. During Collegiate Challenge’s 25-year history, more than 230,000 students have donated nearly $24 million to Habitat affiliates through the fee, now $150, they each pay to participate in the program. During spring break 2014, the groups will donate more than $1.5 million to Habitat.

These students, who easily could have opted to spend spring break basking somewhere in the tropical sun, instead chose to contribute their sweat equity to pulling together a house so a family could have an affordable and remodeled place to call a home.

The seven-member group from Concordia University in Seward, Neb., drove about 16 hours to get to Greene County. When asked why her group chose Greene County, Abigail Connick, a 20-year-old junior, said, “Well, Pennsylvania is quite different than Nebraska, and we found that Greene County is one of the poorest counties in the state,” she said. “We wanted to be useful, and what better way to spend spring break than help those who need it.”

That’s quite mature insight from a 19-year-old, which speaks to the quality of students who sign up for the Collegiate Challenge program.

We were impressed with Western Kentucky University senior and Habitat chapter President Jeffry Edwards, who said this mission marked his14th Habitat build.

“I’ve done winter, spring, fall and global Habitat trips,” Edwards said. “I love it. Each trip is unique, and I enjoy helping the community. It’s a great feeling, and the homeowners really appreciate the work.”

It is not surprising this attitude was common among the Collegiate Challenge students. For many, these trips are a yearly commitment, and while we have no doubt they “benefit from this mission to help,” so do the directors of the Habitat affiliate chapters.

Edward Yorty, the construction manager for Washington County Habitat for Humanity, said every bit of help counts. He said the students genuinely want to make a difference and would rather be useful over the break. “These kids enjoy it.”

Keith Davin, Greene County Habitat executive director, summed up the Challenge this way: “These students are truly making a difference to help others.” But he went one step further. “Having these kids here is an invigorating experience. We operate with a limited number of volunteers, so seeing these students give up their time to do community service helps us refocus.”

Now, we have no problem with college students heading off to southern climates to enjoy well-deserved relaxation. And, we don’t expect every student to grab a hammer and head off to Appalachia.

Yet, as long as Habitat for Humanity continues to provide livable housing for needy and qualified homeowners, there will always be a need for devoted students in the Collegiate Challenge.

So, while many of these students could have chosen to bask in the Mexican sun, we salute them for making the choices they did.