Jess Ramirez, a graduate teaching assistant at the Staley School of Leadership, steps in as a guest contributor to reflect on her recent experience with K-State Service teams as they traveled to Garden City, Kansas, for an Alternative Break. This immersive program hosted by the Staley School gives K-State students the opportunity to serve within a community during regularly scheduled Kansas State University breaks, in this case, spring break.
Each of us carries a particular vision of Kansas, shaped by our own lived experiences. For many, the state is a vast stretch of farmland and small towns, often overlooked in discussions of diversity, resilience, and systemic complexity. Before this trip, my understanding of Kansas, too, was incomplete. But my time in Garden City shattered my preconceptions and revealed a community that is, in many ways, a microcosm of global migration, economic interdependence, and the deep interweaving of food systems and human stories.
This was my second Alternative Break with K-State Service Teams, and while my first was meaningful, this trip was transformative. Alternative Breaks are not just about traveling to a new place—they are an introduction to new people, new ways of living, and new ways of practicing leadership. Two months after returning, I still find myself reflecting on the experience daily. In fact, I am now in the process of producing a documentary on food access and food systems, with a focus on Garden City, because this journey left me with more questions than answers. But before I get ahead of myself, let me take you back to the beginning.
As we left Manhattan, excitement buzzed among us. Each of us came on this trip having done prior research—whether on the region, the organizations we would visit, or the populations we would meet. Without even knowing it, we had already begun to form connections to the people and places we would soon encounter. And yet, nothing could have truly prepared us for the learning, the stories, and the moments that lay ahead.
That first evening, we shared dinner at the home of Andrew and Amanda Lee, a couple deeply connected to the K-State community. Walking into someone’s home for the first time can bring a sense of nervousness, but their hospitality immediately put us at ease. As we sat together, getting to know one another beyond surface-level conversations, we began to feel a sense of belonging—not just in their home, but within the journey we were about to embark on. As we left that night, Jadhida—a junior in Agronomy and Global Food Systems Leadership, who typically sees herself as shy—turned to us and said, “Well, now I feel at home.” That sentiment would follow us throughout the trip, reinforcing the idea that community is not just about geography—it is about connection, shared experiences, and the ways we choose to show up for one another. Continue reading “Learning about community systems opens eyes and minds, strengthens learning”
Being a part of the Staley School of Leadership means having real-world opportunities to practice leadership. Jess Pittenger, a sophomore majoring in philosophy in the pre-law track with a minor in leadership studies, experienced this firsthand.
