Georgia Southern Students Give Back: Build Habitat for Humanity House

Most teens are taking trips or hanging out with their friends during their summer vacation, but some Georgia Southern University freshmen are doing much more.

As News 3 education reporter, Randi Hempel, shows us, they’re hard at work and getting involved in the community they’re about to call home.

Hammers and hearts are creating a home in this heat.

“All the bad things like maybe the heat or the bugs, you just overlook all of that just to know that you’re helping somebody else and it’s a great feeling,” explains GSU freshman and BUILD participant, Aaron Steede.

Georgia Southern University freshman, Aaron Steede works with dozens of his classmates to build a brighter future for a family in their community.  It’s all part of BUILD;
Building Undergraduate Involvement in Leadership Development.

“Putting this house together is just like a symbol of our teamwork together” says Lydia Luke, a explains GSU freshman and BUILD participant.

“It makes me feel wonderful.  It makes me feel like I’m enjoying my college experience and that I’m maturing as a person and as a student,” adds Steede.

“I feel like it’s great as a college to get out and be involved in our community and that’s just a great feeling and just seeing these guys light up and get involved like they are passionate about it and it inspires me to keep going and doing what I’m doing,” says Jackson Head, a GSU junior and Build Leader.

The Habitat for Humanity house they’re working on isn’t the only home that Georgia Southern University students have had a hand in building.  In the past 4 years, Georgia Southern students have worked on six homes in the Statesboro Pointe subdivision.

“That’s amazing, it’s like a great testament to like how they’re involved in the community and for what they want to do in Statesboro and in the world,” adds Luke.

And these students are building more than just a place for folks to call home.  It’s also a foundation for friendships.

“When I come down here in like 3 weeks, I’m going to have people to like hang out with,” says Luke.

“It’s a great experience and everyone should do it,” adds Steede.

The 29 freshmen who are involved in BUILD signed up during their orientation.  Team leaders are older students who were involved in the program as students.

If GSU students earn 200 community service hours, they can get a “service” transcript from the school.