Waynesburg U. students give back during spring break
WAYNESBURG – During spring break this past week, 54 Waynesburg University students participated in service trips across the country and internationally.
Students, led by university faculty and staff, served in Antietam, Md.; Concord, N.C.; Nassau, Bahamas; Brooksville, Fla.; and Pittsburgh.
Rea Redd, director of the Eberly Library, and Courtney Dennis, associate director of the Paul R. Stewart Museum, led eight students in maintaining historical landmarks in Maryland. Students worked on the Antietam National Battlefield Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.
For the eighth year in a row, Waynesburg University returned to Concord to help Habitat for Humanity. Led by Chad Sherman, assistant professor of communication, and Erin Kern, graduate assistant for student activities, students worked with a family in need to build their new home.
First-year Bonner Scholars stayed close to home on a trip designed specifically for them. Eighteen students worked with various Pittsburgh organizations, including the Downtown Pittsburgh Project, World Vision and the National Aviary. Coordinator of the Bonner Scholars program, Adrienne Tharp, led the group.
Seven students under the supervision of Bryan Hamilton, professor of biology, and Chad Sethman, associate professor of biology, helped the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation. Students maintained state parks and wildlife by restoring hiking trails and removing invasive species.
Twelve students traveled abroad to provide care to refugees in the Bahamas. The group set up a health clinic at Victory Chapel Church of the Nazarene in Nassau. Terri Small, professor of nursing, and Lina Hixson, interim director of the RN/BSN program and assistant professor of nursing, assisted students in distributing medication to Haitian refugees without access to medical care.
Classes at Waynesburg University resume Monday.