An Unexpected Holiday

Students Share Their Atypical Break Experiences

Winter break is typically viewed as a time of rest and relaxation, a welcome respite from the rigors of the academic session. For some BMC students, however, this year’s winter break consisted of different activities. Three different students spent the winter overseas, served on a mission trip, and studied in the winter intersession.

Like the majority of students on campus, Kristina Kozakova went home for the winter break to spend time with her family and friends. What makes her situation unusual, though, is that home for her is the European country of Slovakia.

Kristina was excited to be at home and reconnect with her loved ones. “I tried to meet with all my friends, but it was impossible,” she shared with a laugh. Her family’s Christmas traditions look a bit different from the typical American celebration, with Christmas dinner and gift giving on December 24th. A friend of her mother’s even came up from Greece to share in their Christmas celebrations. Kristina thoroughly enjoyed her break and the time she was able to spend with the people she hadn’t seen in months.

Kayla Ramage spent the first week of winter break in Texas volunteering at Mission Arlington. The mission is an outreach center to the impoverished families in Arlington, with a specific focus on the Hispanic and other immigrant communities.

Kayla was able to help the parents select gifts for their children through the mission’s Christmas store and even wrap some of the larger ones for them. Her favorite place to volunteer was the card room. This was a great opportunity for her to talk with the people coming to the store, hear their stories, and share the Gospel with them. “[The trip] was some of the most fulfilling work I think I’ve ever done,” she mused. She appreciated all the opportunities she had to share the love of God with the families she helped.

The winter break is typically a time of rest from school, but Margaret McCain spent four weeks of the break with a course on Marriage and the Family.

While originally a bit skeptical toward the idea, she soon found that taking the course helped make her break even better than usual. She laughingly referred to herself as a “school junkie,” claiming that the course “helped me stay on track.” She was able to maintain a productive schedule while still getting the rest she needed from the normal school year.