CONWAY, Ark. (June 7, 2018) – Seven Hendrix College students and
three recent graduates traveled to Belize May 13-19 for a cross-cultural service-learning
experience. The trip to the Collet neighborhood of Belize City focused on
serving the children of the Muslim Community Primary School while fostering a
cooperative spirit in an interfaith context.
Working under the direction of a two-person Belizean
construction crew, the group from Hendrix helped the Muslim Primary School begin
building a pavilion so the children—all of whom must eat their lunches
outside—will have a covered place to eat, out of the sun and protected from the
rain. Some Hendrix group members also taught lessons in the school’s lower
grades, and those who did not teach in the classroom joined in on the fun
during recess. In addition to interacting directly with the children,
participants spoke with teachers from other schools, representatives from the
Ministry of Education, and leaders of various nonprofit initiatives.
Roshaneh Ali ’19, Jordan
Carl ’20, Miranda Donakey ’18, Emma Gimenez
’20, Marlee Hoggard ’21, Grishma Patel ’19, Lena Pham ’18, Giorgy Sarishvili
’18, John Tran ’19, and Jordan Young ’20 engaged in these experiences alongside
one Hendrix staff member, Gwen Stockwell, director of ESOL (English for
Speakers of Other Languages) and International Student Services; and one
faculty member, Dr. Peg Falls-Corbitt, Virginia A. McCormick Pittman
Distinguished Professor of Philosophy. Falls-Corbitt commended their hard work,
cooperation, and willingness to take on new tasks, from building wooden molds
for concrete columns to leading creative language arts lessons for children.
“Most of all, I am pleased with how genuinely and deeply the
students connected with the people they met and worked alongside, from the
school children to the school staff, from construction crew leaders to the imam,
from our van driver for the week to the representatives of the Ministry of
Education,” she said.
Falls-Corbitt added that the Hendrix students on the trip became
involved in more than simply performing needed tasks. “They really opened
themselves up to hearing and seeing from their new Belizean friends’ point of
view, and they shared of themselves, from deep down in themselves, not just as
helpers on a project. Our wonderful hosts and new Belizean friends did likewise
for us,” she said. “It’s this opportunity for mutual sharing across boundaries
of country, class, race, and religion that is the true long-term benefit of the
service experience.”
For participant Jordan Young, the experience of working side by
side with the innovative Belizean crew to build a safe space for students was emotionally
and spiritually invigorating.
“We mindfully experienced first-hand what honest, humanistic
service felt like, and learned a great deal about the vibrant culture of Belize
City,” he said. “Ultimately, we gained a deeply personal understanding of the
humanity that exists between all of us, despite systematically imposed barriers
that look to separate us.”
Led by the Hendrix Interfaith Initiative in conjunction with Peacework, a nonprofit focused on
sustainable development, this trip appealed to students interested in building
relationships with people of different traditions, whether religious or not. Through
their shared activities, the group explored how a community of diverse
religious, spiritual, and philosophical commitments can work together for the
betterment of the world.
About Hendrix College
A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix
College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal
arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40
Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic
quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture
in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has
been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more,
visit www.hendrix.edu.