Dec 5, 2013 7 min read

WAYNESBURG – As the semester draws to a close, 73 Waynesburg University students will travel to different states and countries to serve others during the university’s winter break. University faculty and staff will lead five mission service trips through December and January.

The service trips include partnerships with Missions Academy in Nassau, Bahamas, Strong Missions in Carrillos, Costa Rica, a nutritional center in Patzun, Guatemala, Trans World Radio in Bonaire and various non-profit organizations in Greene County.

Dr. Julie Bausman, assistant professor of education, will lead a group of five university students to Nassau, Bahamas, from Jan. 5 – 10. The team will work in conjunction with Mission Academy Ministries to teach first-and second-grade reading and math lessons. They will also spend time with the children during recess and lunch and can observe in the classrooms.

“Our desire is to share our abilities and talents with the children in the school,” Bausman said. “We are excited about the opportunity to learn about education in another country as well.”

Students participating in the trip include Robi Arbogast, a sophomore from Waynesburg, Jenny Hage, a senior from New Brighton, Shakila Kienholz, a sophomore from Erie, Rebecca Lane, a junior from Ellwood City and Brianna Watt, a junior from Waynesburg.

Sixteen nursing students will travel to Nassau, Bahamas, to assist with operations of a health clinic for Haitian refugees.

The students will spend Jan. 5 – 10 at the Victory Chapel Church of the Nazarene in Nassau, where they will work with Mission Academy Ministries, an organization dedicated to serving Bahamian and Haitian communities.

Terri Small, professor of nursing, will lead the trip, along with her husband, Steve, a pharmacist, and Wendy Edgar, a nurse practitioner and adjunct faculty in the university’s nursing department.

“We look forward to assisting Mission Academy Ministries as they provide much needed services to communities who would otherwise have no access to health care,” Small said.

This will be the university’s fourth partnership with Mission Academy Ministries and seventh nursing mission trip. On average, university students and faculty care for 100 patients per day during the three-day clinic. Patients are provided medications and education for chronic health conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, as well as receive treatment and care for immediate health issues such as bronchitis, colds and coughs, ear infections and pneumonia.

Students attending the trip include Taylor Basinger, a junior from Confluence, Katelyn Blaich, a senior from Pittsburgh, Melissa Brown, a junior from Perryopolis, Myriah Cox, a senior from Mt. Morris, Maggie Getaz, a senior from Winchester, Va., Rachel Handley, a senior from Dillsburg, Kiersha Keller, a senior from Palmyra, Kathryn Kish, a junior from Liberty Boro.

Also, Katy Jo Kramer, a senior from North Versailles, Alexis Lapinsky from Windber, Jessica Loftus, a senior Charleroi, Shayla Mitrik, a senior from Pittsburgh, Melissa Paul, a senior from Garrett, Lily Smith, from Lake View, N.Y., Maria Wisniewski, a junior from Irwin, and Danielle Zeiler, a junior from Pittsburgh.

Twelve students will travel to Carillos, Costa Rica Dec. 14 to Dec. 22 to partner with Strong Missions, a ministry supporting the local churches of Carrillos. Christopher Kellner, resident director at the university, will lead the team as they provide construction aid for churches and homes as well as education and day care services. Ashley Kelver, a women’s resident director, and her husband, Joshua, will also help to lead the trip.

“My goal for this trip is to connect our university and the trip members to a community I love dearly: Carrillos, Costa Rica,” Kellner said. “I hope for a fair exchange where both we and those we meet are blessed. Most of all I hope that love will be shown and grown within us all.”

Students participating in the mission service trip include Jennifer Brown, a sophomore from Latrobe, Derrick Conner, a senior from Smithfield, Joshua Hennig, a sophomore from Butler, Brooke Larson, a senior from Dunkirk, Md., Raymond Melone, a junior from Philadelphia, Kiersten Neff, a from Johnstown.

Also, Becca Perlmutter, a junior from Pittsburgh, Laura Shawver, a junior from Avella, Carrie Sneller, a senior from Waynesburg, Amanda Stillings, a sophomore from Sussex, N.J., William Sungala, a junior from Denbo, and Jaimie White, a senior from Wattsburg.

Twenty students will spend Jan. 2 to Jan. 11 serving at a nutritional center in Patzun, Guatemala. Pat Bristor, associate dean of students,and Heidi Szuminsky, irector of donor and alumni relations, will lead the team. While at the center, students will spend time with the residents, as well as assist with the replacement of a driveway at the facility.

Five Waynesburg University students who have participated in the trip in past years chose to book flights for Dec. 13, so they would have extra time with the children. That group will spend their entire Christmas break in Guatemala. They are Kyle Digiandomenico, a junior from Martins Ferry, Ohio, Gracious Shavers, a junior from Ginowan City, Japan, Ryan Smith, a junior from Bridgeport, Ohio, Rachel Snavely, a sophomore from Manheim and Julie Wise, a junior from Fowler, Ohio.

“They’ve been there before and are very passionate about ministry,” Bristor said. “They’ve decided to go down early on their own. Heidi and I will bring the rest of the 15 in January.”

According to Bristor, of the students who are attending, nine are returning for the second or even third time.

“Waynesburg students are very passionate about the Guatemala trip and the people of Guatemala,” she said.

Additional students participating in the trip include Kimber Blair, a senior from New Castle, Northe Campbell-Escalante, a junior from Pittsburgh, Heidi Dains, a freshman from Clarksville, Joshua Dains, a junior from Clarksville, Chelsea Dicks, a junior from Jefferson, Sara Faiad, a junior from South Fork, Alana Fiano, a senior from Connellsville, Amelia Graves, a freshman from West Falls, N.Y., Sarah Kirk, a sophomore from Valencia, Nina Manderick, a junior from South Connellsville, Jennifer Miller, a sophomore from New Brighton, Emily Nowakowski, a freshman from Bridgeport, Ohio, Cherylynn Shird, a senior from Washington, D.C., Steven Snow, a senior from Butler, and Erika Stafford, a senior from Orrvile, Ohio.

Twelve students from the university’s Department of Communication will spend part of their Christmas break working with Trans World Radio (TWR), an international broadcast ministry in the Caribbean island of Bonaire. The students will spend Jan. 3 through Jan. 11 assisting TWR as it prepares for the 50th anniversary of the station’s opening on Bonaire.

Beth Merry, instructor of communication, Chad Sherman, assistant professor of communication; and Jacquelyn Core, university provost, will lead the team of students.

Students participating in the trip include Megan Bayles, a sophomore from Carmichaels, Kara Bemer, a junior from Parma Heights, Ohio, Lucas Deithorn, a junior from Brownsville, Victoria Kramer, a junior from South Riding, Katherine Mansfield, a junior from Washington, Creg Milko, a sophomore from Dawson.

Also, Abby Pittinaro, a junior from Pittsburgh, Megan Potosky, a from Sarver, Brandon Rainelli, a junior from Apollo, Jennifer Schouppe, a sophomore from Beaver, Dillon Tierny, a sophomore from Fair Lawn, N.J. and Molly Winters, a junior from Beaver Falls.

Eight students will spend part of their Christmas break participating in various service projects across Greene County. From Dec. 14 to Dec. 20, students will serve at a variety of Greene County non-profit organizations such as the Corner Cupboard Food Bank, Kid’s Café, Produce to People, the Salvation Army and St. Ann’s Soup Kitchen.

Kelley Hardie, assistant dean to student services, and her husband, Chris, assistant dean and cross country coach, will co-lead these local service projects.

Students participating in the service projects include Theresa Butler, a junior from Uniontown, David Leach, a junior from Flushing, Ohio, Jess Leiby, a junior from Tamaqua, Jennifer Lingg, a junior from Ellicott City, Md., John Sikora, a junior from Masury, Ohio, Shelby Staggers, junior from Amity, Clarice Tice, a senior from Millerton, and Dominick Zappa, a senior from Monroeville.