About Me

Hey everybody, I am someone who has joined late in the trip to Chicago. My name is Kevin Bansleben and I am a junior studying Mechanical Engineering here at UMD. I was born in Columbia, MD and have lived there all of my life. I graduated from Atholton High School and have always been interested in studying engineering as I have been fascinated with and excelled in courses in math and science. I am someone who has always loved to travel and learn about the cultures of the people who live in places I have been to.

My mother's family is from Italy and some of them live in Switzerland, so I have been to both countries almost every summer of my life and have enjoyed learning a lot of the French and Italian culture there is to offer. Because I have traveled to many places in Europe, I have become open to many cultures that exist in the world. I have never been out to the Midwest and Chicago, but I am elated to go and learn a lot about the city and its residents. I am excited to go out there and share my experiences with AB and learn a lot about the people I meet in the city.

Because I may be one of the only engineering majors in Alternative Breaks, I may not relate to many of the other people on the trip. However, the humongous advantage I bring to the table is my vast knowledge of math, science, and engineering for other people to learn about. I hope I can spread my knowledge to the students in need in the Chicago charter schools. Also, as an engineering student, I am someone who is very oriented with problem solving and helping people with technical problems. I am a good critical thinker when it comes to addressing issues.

I have been on two previous Alternative Breaks trips. The first one I have been on was in freshman year with the HIV/AIDS trip in New York City. I have learned quite a lot about how HIV/AIDS affected the community in New York City and how I can make a difference in people's lives there. The second Alternative Breaks experience I have been on was in the Bahamas. There was a lot of cleaning up to do in the Bahamas but my group has made a substantial effort to clean up to trash and support an eco-friendly environment in which we were to support the development of.

I am someone who is very sociable and easy to get along with and relate to, so I am very excited to meet the other people whom I am travelling with. I am looking forward to the weeks ahead so I can get to know everybody on the trip and have an awesome time! I am willing to share more about my past AB experiences and how it makes me know what great things to expect on this trip.