By Lauren Leary
Special to GoHolyCross.com

Playing a sport at the collegiate level can be a challenging, yet ultimately rewarding experience. One of the challenges that student-athletes often face is the possibility of having to forego a study abroad experience in order to stay focused on their training and committed to their team.

Luckily for Hannah Grace Stokes (Atlanta, Ga.), a current senior volleyball player at Holy Cross, she did not have to forfeit an experience abroad to be able to keep her status as a student-athlete. Stokes recently returned from a two-month trip to New Zealand with Challenge 2000, a program that she discovered through her friendship with a New Zealand priest. He was returning home after a five-year placement at her Atlanta high school and suggested the program to Stokes when she expressed interest in service work in New Zealand. She had previously traveled to Nicaragua with the priest in high school, so the recommendation to join the Challenge 2000 team was well received. 

Between May 19 and July 16, Stokes participated in the program, which allowed her to explore new territory in New Zealand during her summer break. According to Stokes, Challenge 2000 "fosters a youth's strengths and provides mentoring programs to encourage positive lifestyle choices."

The program also focuses on strengthening and supporting families "to achieve what they are capable of," Stokes said. "Hopefully escaping some of the poverty stricken areas of the country." She recalled that her interaction with the New Zealand families and the tightknit-team mentality of the Challenge 2000 program was nothing like she'd ever come across before.

The day-to-day of Challenge 2000 was both diverse and enlightening. "The job I worked in was a very 'go with the flow' environment," Stokes said. "For example, one day I could be helping in administration work in Wellington, and the next, jumping in a car for a four-hour drive up to Hawkes Bay to aid in a holiday program. Then the week after, flying down to Queenstown for a week of 'holiday.'" The variety of the program was initially foreign to her, as Stokes said, "the idea of not knowing what's going to happen or having my days planned is something I had to get accustomed to, but looking back, it was the best thing for me."

While the experience in whole was a whirlwind of traveling and educating, Stokes recalled it as both an eye opening and pivotal time in her undergraduate career. "This trip to New Zealand allotted me time to organize my priorities and gave me a chance to reflect on what I want to accomplish in my final year of undergrad," she said. "My experiences strengthened and shaped my personality and also solidified values I wish to bring home."

Specifically, one of the highlights of her trip was the relationships she fostered along the way. "I worked different weeks with children coming from varieties of emotional, economical, spiritual and familial backgrounds between the ages of five and 18," she said. "Being a psychology major, there was quite a bit of psychological practical work that went into nurturing each kid. Each experience, whether it be in hiking around the forests with older adolescents, taking a bus full of nine year olds to a petting zoo, or playing with play-doh with the young ones, provided me with lessons that cannot be taught in the classroom and further shaped my psychology realm."

Elaborating on the friendships she formed with both the people of New Zealand, as well as those with whom she worked, Stokes said, "the people I worked with truly are whanau (which means family in Maori). As much as I want to say I served them, the whanau ultimately served me—and many others before me. Each person made it a point to make sure I had everything I needed to be successful in New Zealand. Essentially, the Challenge 2000 whanau loves people without condition and I'm lucky to be included."

Returning back to the hill for her senior year, Stokes is specifically looking forward to reuniting with her friends and teammates. She is vocal about her admiration for the school, as she says, "my favorite part about Holy Cross is how driven each person is; whether it be his or her sport, musical talents, artistry, stage drama or a personal hobby. There is so much passion on this campus. The environment is challenging and engaging."

Stokes is sure to take the values and experiences she gained in New Zealand with her as she returns to campus. The Challenge 2000 program has introduced her to a new style of work, while simultaneously securing her interest in a career in psychology and medicine. "This summer has opened so many doors for me in terms of post-graduation," she said. "This year, I plan on further examining several different medical routes in search of an upbeat, dynamic environment I will enjoy and will keep me busy!"

Go here to view a photo gallery.

Go here for more information on Challenge 2000.

You can follow Holy Cross Athletics on Twitter @GoHolyCross.