Nadia Ecyomuhendo
  • biology
  • Kigali, Rwanda

Nadia Ecyomuhendo Participated in Spring Break Service Trip to Washington D.C.

2016 May 2

Nadia Ecyomuhendo, a sophomore biology major from Kigali, Rwanda, and nine other Buena Vista University students participated in an AWOL (Alternative Week of Off-site Learning) trip during spring break, enabling them to volunteer their time and service with a focus on inner city poverty and homelessness outreach in Washington D.C.

The BVU students concerned with helping fight the war on poverty partnered with the Steinbruck Center in Washington D.C., where they attended several educational workshops about the underlying issues within the community they served. They dove into what poverty and homelessness looks like, how it is caused, structural racism and its outcomes and participated in a poverty simulation. Their hands-on service efforts involved helping at DC Central Kitchen, Capital Area Food Bank, Martha's Table, N-Street Women's Shelter and the Craft Collective. Each of these experiences allowed them to connect with individuals and serve those experiencing homelessness in Washington D.C. They also had an opportunity to learn about global and national events by visiting sites in the city, including the Holocaust Memorial Museum, Arlington Cemetery, the White House, and the Smithsonian Museums.

Advisors for this experience were Ken Meissner, director of spiritual life at BVU, and Dr. Kristy McClellan, associate professor of biology at BVU.

"I honestly believe that service trips cause our BVU AWOL participants to become well-rounded and well-informed citizens as doors open for them to envision the potential in becoming productive citizens for today as well as for our collective future," said Meissner. "It is essential to know your neighbor and to be a good neighbor as you live out your faith and purpose on this little plot of earth we call home."

AWOL has sent more than 689 volunteers and completed an estimated 30,366 hours of service worldwide, furthering its mission to immerse BVU students in different cultures, heighten social awareness and advocate life-long social action through service on a local, regional and international level.

To ensure the AWOL program's long-term impact on the student and the Storm Lake community, students research their service areas, identify a local need, serve to understand it better and address it using new skills learned on their AWOL trips and engaging in local service projects.

Three AWOL trips took place this year, with 30 BVU students participating. The other trips focused on service animal training in Deland, Fla., and environmental conservation in Las Marias, Puerto Rico.