Students at Canadian Mennonite University are returning to their studies after building houses during their reading week.

Instead of taking a traditional break from school, students partnered with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) to work on houses in Wharton, Texas.

The homes that are being built or repaired are for victims of 2017's Hurricane Harvey. One student, Emma Siemens says that while she has volunteered in the past with MDS, she felt being able to do so during her spring break was a great opportunity.

"I felt it was time to work in a different way," Emma Siemens says. "I had just been using my head to get all my school work done but it was nice to give that a rest and start using my hands."

Siemens and a small group of other students from Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) spent one week working with volunteers from across North America to help Texans return to their homes.

"I wish I could be back there. It was nice not having to work on schoolwork," joked Siemens. 

She also shared that she enjoyed working on something with others. As a student, Siemens finds herself to be working towards goals only for herself and enjoyed working with others on one large project.

This Saturday, Siemens and her fellow students returned to Winnipeg and have been back in the classroom since Monday. 

Siemens says the trip was "exactly what (she) needed."