Testimonials From the SALSC Team
"My trip to Ecuador with Student-Athletes Leading Social Change was the most amazing and powerful experience I have ever had in my life. I met some of the greatest people I've ever come across and bonded with them to change the lives of derserving Ecuadorian children. I learned about an incredible culture and most importantly, I learned about myself. This trip has given me the confidence, skills, and inspiration I needed to fully dedicate my future to helping others. I strongly encourage anyone who is interested in this type of thing to get involved--your life will no doubt be changed for the better."
Jess Miller
2011 Ecuador
Lehigh Field Hockey
"SALSC unites a team of incredible human beings and harnesses their leadership skills and insights to create change on so many levels. Our trip to Ecuador was fun, eye-opening, humbling, and inspiring- truly a life-changing experience that has impacted the way I perceive relationships and our inter-connected world."
Julie Sterrett
2011 Ecuador
Lehigh Softball
"My trip to Ecuador with SALSC was one of the most influential experiences I've ever had. Not only did I get to learn from my amazing fellow leaders, but I also witnessed the power of compassion through working, building, and interacting with the community of Chismaute. I wanted to pursue social change before going to Ecuador but didn't know how much I could do. Now, because of my what I experienced during the trip, I truly believe in an individual's ability to make a difference. With a group, that becomes even more powerful- and that is what SALSC is about!"
Michelle Browning
2011 Ecuador
Iowa State Gymnastics
"It's really hard to describe in words my experience with SALSC. Going to Ecuador and experiencing what I did is truly inspiring and life changing. They whole experience was incredible. SALSC encompasses Leadership, service and community all in one which is why this organization is so special."
Liz Lucas
2011 Ecuador
Lehigh Softball
"When I first heard about SALSC on the campus at Illinois I knew I had to get involved. I’ve had the opportunity to join many leadership organizations and clubs on campus but I instinctively knew that the SALSC trip to Ecuador would be an exciting opportunity to give back, grow and learn about another culture very different than those I’ve known. I have always been taught to believe that I can make a difference and that one person can change the world and I felt passionately that I had to be part of this service trip to Ecuador.
The group of 18 student athletes from across the country that made the mission trip to Ecuador is an amazing group which I was proud to be a part of. We all got to see and experience how the fundraising that we all did affected these impoverished villages in Ecuador. We laid the foundation for a school. We made a difference and we could see the changes we made in the village. We were all also changed forever as well. I know that I will look at the world in a different way."
Darragh McDermott
2011 Ecuador
Illinois Swimming & Diving
"Working with a group of such hardworking and caring individuals from different schools was something completely unique and wonderful. It was awesome to see how rivals on the field willingly pull together and become friends when you're in a setting far from home. Playing with the kids in Sikirar made me feel like I was just playing in the backyard again as a kid, and made me work even harder to build this school for these deserving kids in Kenya.
Being a part of SALSC and the Kenya trip has also helped shape my leadership style as well as the career path I am walking on. I know that there are parts of the world in far worse shape than I have seen anywhere at home and that I can use my gifts to help make a difference."
Alex Jendrusch
2010 Kenya
Michigan Soccer
"For nine days I was surrounded by a group of inspirational people striving to become better individuals and to better the world around them. Immersed in a land with an inexplicable beauty and a tremendous am ount of untapped potential, we were privileged to join with the community of Chismaute in constructing the foundation for their school. Through this we saw first hand the irreplaceable impact education has on an individual's life.
Jeff said that for some of us this trip would be an experience that will alter the path we choose to take in life. Although I have not yet lived out the rest of my life, I believe that this will be the case for me. Student Athletes Leading Social Change has helped me grow as a leader, as a student and as a person. Most importantly it has given me the chance to create opportunities for others that I've been so fortunate to have my whole life."
Anne Luhrsen
2011 Ecuador
Illinois Volleyball
"I dream every day. I dream about the lives of other people. I dream about the lives of those I’ve touched. I had a dream when I was a little girl that I would help people one day after I went to Nigeria. I saw true poverty and didn’t understand how anyone could live like that. Yet, they were happiest people I’ve ever seen. They didn’t dwell on what they didn’t have, but were thankful for each other and what had been provided for themselves. They had the biggest hearts and the fullest spirits. Those spirits stayed with me in my dreams. Their smiles, their laughs, and their eyes full of hope were always there. I was blessed enough to have the opportunity to go to Kenya and Ecuador with SALSC, where I saw the eyes full of hope again. I took a step back and thought about my life and was truly thankful for what I had been given. We take for granted some of the smallest daily tasks such as a shower or the food we eat. We’re fixated on what we want instead of what we need. I hope more people can have my dreams one day… the dreams of endless smiles and the fullest hearts of love. It’s truly amazing when the dream actually comes true, and through SALSC my dreams keep continuing. Not a day goes by that I’m not thankful for the people who work with and help SALSC."
CeCe Marizu (SALSC Co-founder)
2010 Kenya and 2011 Ecuador
Illinois Swimming & Diving