Maeve Power ’17
What involvement did/do you have with MOVE? What program did/do you volunteer with and/or lead? What years?
Service Trip Committee, 2014-2017
What’s your MOVE story?
Seeing the MOVE Board for the first time on my tour of campus in 2012 was a driving factor in my decision to go to Saint Mike’s, just because I thought it was so great that service could be made that accessible to me as a student. I always loved travel, so I was naturally drawn to the service trip program, which I promptly applied for within the first few weeks of being at school. My first trip was to Jackson County, Kentucky, for WorkFest with the Christian Appalachian Project. I cannot even tell you how much I loved that trip. By day two, I was asking my trip leader how I could do what she did. I applied and was accepted, beginning a three-year journey as a Service Trip Leader that played a major role in my college experience. I went on to lead trips to South Dakota, Kentucky again, and Florida. Each trip, I grew as a leader and a person, and hopefully helped create some impactful experiences for other students as well.
In what ways did/does MOVE impact you?
When I think about my time at Saint Mike’s, I think most fondly of the amazing experiences I had while leading service trips with MOVE. The relationships I built with fellow committee members, as well as those people I served while in Kentucky, South Dakota, Florida, and Guatemala, are ones that I hold so dearly to my heart, because they played such an important role in shaping the person I am today. The strong focus on reflection gave me the tools to understand who I am, how I see the world, and how I want to live my life. Beyond that is the strong leadership and organizational skills that I was able to build as a Service Trip Committee member—skills that I will use for a lifetime in my career and in my everyday life. I learned how to handle conflicts, how to ensure the safety of a group, and how to communicate with people of different backgrounds and personalities.
MOVE gave me experiences that have impacted all aspects of my life—every moment I spent planning, reflecting, and serving played a role in that, from giving countless piggy back rides to the kids of La Plant, South Dakota, to using power tools to improve the home of a family that became my own for a week in Jackson County, Kentucky. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world!
If you are an alumni, what influence does MOVE continue to have on your life today?
Four years after graduating, I still have the MOVE Service Trip Committee on my resume, because I know that the skills I gained from that experience are relevant to my professional life.