Elks National Foundation Blog

by John Kavula Elks Scholar Fellow At 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 12, I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. After a week of long days running around with kids at the Boys and Girls Club and serving in the Mississippi sun followed by little sleep, my first Elks Scholar Service Trip was over. While it certainly wasn’t easy, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I like to think I have one of the best jobs in the world—I get to travel around the country, learn about new communities through service and, best of all, meet amazing people while doing so. This year’s winter trip to Biloxi was no exception. Returning to the Gulf Coast was a bit of a homecoming for me because I lived an hour away from Biloxi for about 10 years. Even though it was only for a week, it was great to see the scholars, many of whom had never been to Mississippi or even the Deep South before, get a taste of what the Gulf Coast has to offer. And I don’t just mean the food! A highlight, or at le