After months and months of waiting, it is finally here! Tomorrow at 12:35pm we will depart with Southwest Airlines from General Mitchell International Airport and arriving at La Guardia International Airport. Please stay tuned to this blog for a daily update starting TODAY! This is your best source for all things Alternative Break: Healthcare and Diversity in New York City 2016 volunteer trip. For those who are unfamiliar with what we are doing, this trip is an opportunity for UW-Oshkosh students to get out of Oshkosh and experience the world first hand. We will spend a great deal of our time volunteering at the GMHC, which is an organization that advocates for the prevention and provides the public information about HIV and AIDS. We I would like to take this time to introduce to all of you this year’s participants.

Lexi Kobishop: I am a Biology major with a Healthcare Science emphasis. I currently work as a scribe (physician’s record assistant) in the emergency department at Theda Care Medical Regional Center – Appleton (or Theda Care – Appleton) and at the information desk in the Reeve Administration Office. A hobby of mine would be walking my two dogs Ollie and Nala. I am excited to learn about the GMHC, interact with people there and visit all of the amazing sights in New York City!

Jenna Marie: My major is Human Services Leadership with a minor in Criminal Justice, I currently work at the Day by Day warming shelter and the University Police Department, my biggest hobby is working out and I’m most excited about being surrounded by unfamiliar places and faces, learning about the history and different cultures and everything else New York has to offer!

Erica Wienke: Major: Nursing 

Current Job: Certified Nursing Assistant, Student Worker in the College of Nursing Undergraduate Office

Hobby: riding (NOT driving) on motorcycles

Most excited about: Working and learning about people who are more diverse than the people I can encounter from Oshkosh, WI or my hometown, seeing the sights, going to GMA once (maybe more than once)!

Samantha Walvort:  Major: Dual Elementary and Special Education

Job/Hobby: I love any opportunity to volunteer or work with children of all ages.

Most Excited For: I’m most looking forward to meeting and interacting with the people of GMHC to hear their stories. I also can’t wait to experience the New York City life and see all of the sites that it has to offer.

Trina Do: Major: nursing

Hobby: I’m really good at watching hours and hours of the Office.

Erica Stein: My major is nursing, and I currently work at the Olive Garden here in Oshkosh, but my favorite hobby is shopping, and I am most excited to be able to make a connection and get to know everyone at the GMHC and listen to their stories and all they have to tell us! I’m also super excited for Carlos bakery.

Kateri Swett: My major is Social Work and my my minor is Social Justice. I’m currently interning at the UW-Oshkosh Head Start as a family resource specialist. I am most excited about volunteering my time to such a great cause and spreading awareness when we get back. And of course I’m excited about seeing the city.

Gary Dodge: My major is Radio TV Film minor is Music Industry. My hobby is writing and performing rap music. I’m most excited about seeing the city and learning about the history and volunteering.

Max Honzik: I am a freshman here at the UW-Oshkosh and I am the blog author. My majors (which seems to change from day to day) are currently International Studies with a Political Science Emphasis and German. My minors are French and European Studies. My hobbies include Netflix and eating food. Lots of food. I love food. I also love learning about other worldly cultures and their respective languages. I am most excited to finally see for myself the Big Apple and to experience the amazing diversity the city has to offer. I would really like to meet someone from another country and learn about their culture and why they came

to America.