Terry In Action- Allyson Neisig
This summer, Allyson Neisig (UNT 2015) volunteered in Thailand to help address poverty within the country’s hill tribes before traveling to Romania to intern at a human trafficking shelter.
What was your role in both of these experiences and why did you choose to get involved?
I volunteered in Thailand to help villagers build roads so that they may have access to sell crops at the local markets. Volunteering in Thailand has been a great way to see the culture while being able to make a difference in a great community. In mid-June, I headed to Romania to intern at a human trafficking shelter to teach rehabilitation activities to survivors. Last summer, I attended a study abroad trip to Romania where I first learned about the topic of human trafficking. I found what I am passionate about, which then led me to volunteering at home with shelters and to being a part of a research team on campus for Trafficking. Returning to intern in Romania gives me the opportunity to see the effort a different country puts into fights the issue of human trafficking. It also allows me to gain experience in this field because I wish to work with non-profits to help survivors as my future career.
One day I was fortunate to visit temples through the city of Ayutthaya, Thailand.
What was the result in each case, and what have you learned?
At the end of volunteering in Thailand, I was pleased to see that the tribe will have better roads for travel. This will help them gain a better way of life. After Romania, I learned new ways of rehabilitation to take back to my work in the states, as well as ways to run an efficient non-profit. Both experiences have taught me to appreciate everything I have been fortunate enough to have back home. I have learned that I have a bigger purpose than myself and that I should try to give back as much as I can.
If you could give advice to other Terry Scholars who want to get involved with a similar initiative, what would you tell them?
All it takes is a little research. I started by looking into study abroad programs, which then helped me find my passion for helping others.
This picture was from my work with children at risk for Trafficking on my study abroad trip last summer. I helped the same types of children in Romania this summer.