Spring Break Opportunity

We made it on the front page of the local paper! heehee! :)

FAIRMONT - In March, 10 local women will travel to eastern Guatemala equipped with the skill, desire and over-the-counter medications they need to serve the impoverished people inhabiting the area. The young women are third-year nursing students at Presentation College, and have signed on to give up their spring breaks to help people they have never met.

Above: Presentation College nursing students lending their services in Guatemala, include, front row from left: Lana Howk, Katy Handevidt, Jessica Rabe and Courtney Baumann. Back row, from left: Rebekah Anderson, Alex Ristau, Kandra Miller and Stephanie Prentice.

The students get no school credit for their service, although they can use the time there toward their volunteerism graduation requirement. Some have never left the US, but all are preparing for a life of serving others and see this trip as an extension of their dedication to nursing. "I have always had a very deep need to help the disadvantaged, and I know this trip will change every single person who is involved in this project," said trip organizer Kendra Miller. "A trip of this type was never a question for me, it was just a matter of how and when." The group has coordinated with Hearts-In-Motion, a non-profit service organization with extensive ties to Guatemala, to distribute food, medicine and knowledge about nutrition and general health care. Since they are not yet licensed as nurses, the women will practice exclusively non-invasive procedures. "Our first day we will be going to a dump to hand out food," Miller said. Outside of the help they will give, the students are looking forward to how they will be changed by real-life nursing experienced in the impoverished region. Lana Howk, one of the students going on the trip, said that in addition to refocusing her dedication to service after her time in school, she feels the experience will help her connect with some of her clients. "I think it will help us understand our minority clients," she said. Miller agreed, saying, "There is no way that we could come out of this not being better people, better nurses, knowing that we've done everything we could to help. The amount of help that the people of Guatemala need is unfathomable; by simply being there, we will be doing something to help them. They have nothing; no food, home, and very little access to medical attention." In addition to fundraising, the students are collecting over-the-counter medications, toothbrushes, toothpaste and small toys to leave with the people they meet. "We will be providing the people with food, healthcare and toys for the children," Miller said. "In order to prepare for this trip, we have been feverishly fundraising, and reaching out to the Fairmont community for their support in making this nursing trip possible." The women need to raise $20,000 to pay for airfare, lodging and guides. Since the only Spanish-language experience anyone on the trip has comes from high school language class, they will rely heavily on Hearts-in-Motion guides to translate during interactions with clients. And while the travelers are all students at Presentation College, the school is not sponsoring the trip. Presentation College director Traci Lardy said the students came to her and told her about the trip, but they are going on their own. "I think it shows the dedication we have of our nursing students to share their skills," she said. "It is a special group." Miller hopes to see more students participate in a trip of this kind in the years to come. After their trip, they will present a slide show and discussion with donors.

*Donations are tax-deductible, and can be sent to:

Presentation College, attn: Traci Lardy, 115 S. Park Street, #117, Fairmont, MN 56031.