Shelby Flood Serves Community as Part of University of Dallas Alternative Spring Break

2013 Apr 26

Shelby Flood, a sophomore pastoral ministry major from Shady Shores, Texas, was among a contingent of University of Dallas students and campus ministers that traveled to New Orleans in March for this year's Alternative Spring Break (ASB). While there, the group repainted crypts at a Catholic cemetery and worked at The Arc, a community center for people with mental and physical disabilities, and Capstone, an organization that fixes houses damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

During ASB, students participate in service-oriented activities that meet spiritual needs and provide personal enrichment. Preparation for ASB takes place in various ways, including an application and interview process. Once selected, the group of students goes through a faith formation process and learns the organization's pillars – service, prayer, simplicity and community. The students also raise funds to cover the trip expenses, and attend a day-long retreat before they leave for their assigned location.

The University of Dallas, a private Catholic institution in Irving, Texas, is considered one of the most academically rigorous small universities in America. It regularly appears on the "best colleges" lists of U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review and Forbes, and is one of only 22 schools nationwide to receive an "A" rating in the "What Will They Learn?" report on institutions that best prepare students for life beyond college. One of the university's flagship programs is its Rome Program, which operates from an international campus in the Roman countryside. For more information on any of the university's professional, graduate or undergraduate programs, visit www.udallas.edu.