Students focus on service during Alternative Spring Break

April 4, 2025

SARANAC LAKE – A group of North Country Community College students spent their spring break in Utah volunteering at an animal shelter.

This year’s “Alternative” Spring Break trip, which took place the last week of March, brought four students – Shia Bright, Emma Byl, Ryan Sampson, Tommy Sloan – and Assistant Director of Student Life Angela Brice to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. The shelter is currently home to more than 1500 animals and is the largest no-kill sanctuary in the country. Its staff provide daily care, medical treatment and behavior modification to the animals, helping them potentially be adopted or, if that’s not possible, ensuring they live a rich and fulfilling life.

While there, the North Country group worked on a series of projects and were part of a larger team that included students and staff from New York University. Some of the projects included cleaning, building, painting, and landscaping. In addition to daily interactions with the animals, the students met with several of the sanctuary’s staff and gained a better understanding of its mission and values. 

Outside of their volunteer work, the group had the opportunity to travel to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Las Vegas. They visited the lab of Paleontologist Dr. Alan Titus, where they learned about the history of the land where dinosaurs once roamed. They also watched volunteers and researchers work to remove fossils and got to hold bones that were 125 million years old.

Each spring, serviced-minded students can apply to participate in Alternative Spring Break, completing service projects in a destination community. Past trips have focused on food insecurity, housing development, and disaster relief.

To see more photos from this year's trip, check out our Facebook page or visit us on Instagram (links below).