NATCHEZ — For some college students, winter break is a time to take a rest from homework and papers, but a group of 11 students from Vanderbilt University recently made a trip to Natchez for some extra credit.

The students, through a winter break program at Vanderbilt, arrived Monday morning with a positive attitude and a strong work ethic to help the Sunshine Shelter.

“We aren’t expecting to come in here and change the world,” Vanderbilt junior and Meridian native Andrew Follett said. “But if we can come in here and put up a fresh coat of paint, and do things that help make someone’s day better, we are making a difference.”

Sunshine Shelter Director Matilda Stephens said the group of students will be helping out the shelter with any projects they have and will also be working with other organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club, in Natchez.

“When we get alternative break students we try and find things that need to be done in the community,” she said.

Stephens said the shelter normally receives help from college students during spring break, and that getting help during the winter is an added bonus.

“We get a lot of work done at one time that would normally take us a long time to do,” she said. “We can get a big project knocked out during a small period of time, and it is free.”

Follett said the group of 11 students is chosen at random, and the program provides a great chance for meeting new people.

“It is great to meet 11 new people from school,” he said. “It is a chance for 11 new friends.”

Vanderbilt junior and Jupiter, Fla., native Michael Tranchina said this is his second alternative break session to attend, and that the real world experience he gains from helping out others is one of the reasons he volunteers.

“I feel like I am blessed, and with my free time I feel obligated to share something with anyone I can,” he said. “It’s important to help out those who need it.”

Vanderbilt senior and St. Louis native Alex Arnold said the winter break program is a great way to give back.

“The whole trip is focusing on children who experience neglect, that is why we are at the Sunshine Shelter,” she said. “It’s easier to come to a new place, like Natchez, and see how things need to be done to fix it than it is to stay in one place.”

In her fourth alternative break program, Vanderbilt senior and Illinois native Jayne Gillen said she was excited to begin her week volunteering her time.

“It is a great experience, and I am really excited to meet and work with the kids,” she said. “This is a great way to spend a break.”