Today was Day 2 of our Ryan Nece Student Service Trip. Day 2 was dedicated
completely to drywall measuring, cutting, and installation. No doubt, it was the most
difficult task done so far. Nonetheless, it taught us a lot about ourselves and taught us a
lot of skills. To be able to serve as a form of hope for the community holds us with an
immense responsibility that we continuously strive to fulfill.
From the experiences of Day 1 and Day 2, I can definitely say that perseverance is by
far the most important skill learned thus far. It was very important to have a creative
mindset to work through obstacles and to remember that at the end of the day, our
efforts were driven towards helping a family have their home back. Through countless
obstacles of drywall pieces not fitting and not hitting the nails into the right places, I
have learned how to persevere and the importance of having such a mindset.
Midway through the day, we all wrote our names on a piece of drywall before installing
it into the ceiling. This truly meant a lot, as we were literally and figuratively leaving our
mark. Service has always been an integral part of every single Ryan Nece Foundation
student and despite all of our differences, it binds us together to work towards a
common goal. It is so important, especially in this day and age, that we always regard
the common good and strive to do all we can to ensure that hope is alive and that
people who need any help can receive it.
Getting to know all the members of the foundation has been absolutely amazing and
quite fun. I am looking forward to spending Day 3 with the same mindset of
perseverance and also learning more skills. This trip has been an eye-opener into
realizing just how important it is to help in such a hurricane relief effort. This program
has taught me so much about myself and I will always be grateful for that. The power of
giving has always been and will continue to be strong.
-Riya Patel
