This summer, 47 Waynesburg University students will serve on Faith, Learning and Service Immersion Trips in four different international and domestic locations.
Students will travel to Wheeling, West Virginia; Nashville, Tennessee; Salinas, Puerto Rico; and Patzun, Guatemala.
Laughlin Memorial Chapel – Wheeling, West Virginia
Seven Waynesburg University students will serve at Laughlin Memorial Chapel in Wheeling, West Virginia, from Monday, May 7, to Friday, May 11.
Led by Evonne Baldauff, chairperson for the Department of Chemistry and Forensic Science, students will work with teachers and students at a high school to perform chemistry demos, and then tutor at an after school program at the Chapel.
Nashville Rescue Mission – Nashville, Tennessee
Waynesburg University’s Lamplighters Touring Choir will serve in Nashville, Tennessee, from Monday, May 7, to Sunday, May 13. The group will work with the Nashville Rescue Mission on improvement projects around the city, in addition to giving performances to share the Gospel through music.
Melanie Catana, director of choral music, is leading the trip. She said she is excited for students to use their musical skills to benefit others.
Camp Caribe – Salinas, Puerto Rico
Eight Waynesburg University students will serve in Camp Caribe, a missionary camp in Puerto Rico, led by Dr. James Bush, professor of mathematics, and Faith Musko, instructor of forensic science. The group will serve from Monday, May 7, to Tuesday, May 15.
Bush has led students to Camp Caribe four times previously, but he said this trip will likely be very different because the camp was hit hard by Hurricane Maria, and he anticipates helping with repairs.
Centro Nutricional y Hogar de Niños – Patzun, Guatemala
Fifteen students will serve in Guatemala this summer, May 7 through 21. Led by Pat Bristor, associate dean of students, and Ryan Smith, assistant director of student activities, students will assist at an orphanage and perform daily service projects, including maintenance to the building, interacting with the children and more.
The University has been travelling to Guatemala for nearly 16 years. This year, Bristor is looking forward to teaching the children English, helping them with homework and conducting an oral hygiene workshop, among other projects.
For more information about the Faith, Learning and Service Immersion Trips, contact Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of student services, at 724-852-3461.
Founded in 1849 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg University is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with three additional sites located in the Pittsburgh region. The University is one of only 22 Bonner Scholar schools in the country, offering local, regional and international opportunities to touch the lives of others through service.
