Mercy College students head to Baltimore, Guatemala for spring break |
 |
|
Written by .
|
|
Tuesday, 09 March 2010 00:00 |
TOLEDO—Spring break is a time when many college students look forward to tossing the books aside and heading to the beach. But some Mercy College students are forgoing the sun and sand and are looking forward to the opportunity to serve.
From March 8-13, Notre Dame Sister Sally Marie Bohnett, Mercy’s campus minister, is leading a group of nine students to Baltimore as part of Mercy’s alternative spring break trip program. There they are to join Mercy Sister Kitty Neuslein, who has worked with poor and underserved residents of southwest Baltimore for more than 30 years. The trip and the program give students the opportunity to be actively engaged in community service and experiential learning over the course of the week.
The college selected Baltimore this year because of the work being done by the Sisters of Mercy, who continue to help others improve their lives in the poorest area of Baltimore.
“We are going to be working in an area beset with drugs, crime and dysfunction," says Sr. Bohnett. “This trip will challenge us out of our comfort zones and broaden the world view of our students as future healthcare providers.”
Those participating in the alternative spring break have been asked to be flexible and ready for anything, as they may be working with senior citizens, developmentally disabled adults and those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. Along with Sr. Neuslein, the group is to connect with the Mercy Volunteer Corps. Members of the corps give a year of service in Mercy ministries and will be instrumental in providing training and education for the various assigned tasks.
Another student group from Mercy College is heading to Guatemala, led by Precious Blood Sister Karen Elliott and Susan Bernheisel. The eight students attending the trip are enrolled in an Interdisciplinary Healthcare Ministry and Enculturation course and will be working at an orphanage where all of the children are physically handicapped. The students are to assist with the children’s hygiene activities, getting them ready each day and providing them with individual attention and special enrichment activities.
Drs. Bernheisel and Elliott have been working with the students since January to prepare them for a trip that is to provide the opportunity to learn about the essential role of the Mercy mission and core values, as well as how to integrate them into their lives and clinical practices.
Both trips are partially underwritten by Fifth Third Bank, and additional funding for the Baltimore trip is provided by the Diocese of Toledo. Students pay for the remainder of the expenses.
John Hayward, Mercy College president, praises the students, faculty and staff involved in the service activities.
“We are very proud of all of our students who have opted to participate in these trips,” he says. “Our institution has a long history of service learning, which benefits not only our students, but the communities they will be serving.”
|
|
Last Updated on Monday, 09 August 2010 13:45 |
