Students and Professors Take Mission Trip to Kenya

A group of Clarke students traveled to Kenya last spring to complete service work.

The students in attendance were: Elsie Ostwinkle (Secondary Education and Biology), Caleb Wragge (Education Practices and Theories), Carrie Rawson (Social Work and Business Administration), Caitlyn Ambrosy (Elementary Education, Special Education and Reading), Ashely Edwards (Psychology and Philosophy) and Mackenzie Lamb (Elementary Education, Special Education and Middle School Reading).

Accompanied by Assistant Professor of Social Work Mary Gitau and Associate Professor of Education Carolyn Wiezorek, the students visited different parts of the country and completed the two service projects. The first was a library project which was very well received by the community, the students and the teachers at the elementary school.

Gitau said, “Our Clarke students did a profound job both at that library project and facilitating the teacher’s conference.”

They also spent two days at Mount Kenya University where they received incredible hospitality from MKU. Clarke students shadowed MKU students and visited with different departments. Gitau and Wiezorek visited with MKU faculty and administrative officials.

The group then visited with women’s group projects that were supported by the SW Global Issues’ Classes that Gitau taught in spring of 2016 and 2017.

Gitau said, “The women are doing so well with the skills they learned from bead training. They are now able to make products for sale and earning income from that. It is an incredible rural empowerment endeavor.”

“It was a very rewarding trip and we are very thankful for the opportunity to lead our Clarke students in that experience,” shared Wiezorek.