Students spend winter break traveling to Guatemala, Chicago and New Orleans for AWOL service trips

By Sam Fosness and Nikolas Wilson 

The Alternative Week of Off-Campus Learning organization, known as AWOL, embarked on several mission trips over winter break. The mission trips provided an opportunity for members to gain cultural perspective by dedicating a week of service to communities in need including Guatemala, Chicago and New Orleans.

AWOL strives to develop active citizenship by engaging members in communities all over the world.

AWOL’s leadership and core values

Prior to each mission trip AWOL leaders educate their members on social issues and goals they hope to achieve during the mission trips.

Madisyn Waage, a junior medical biology major, held educational activities for the Guatemalan mission trip members prior to departure. 

“We educate and prepare members about the social issues we will take on during the mission trips by meeting once a week to discuss our goals for the trip,” said Waage.

Waage said it’s important to educate members about the communities they will be serving prior to mission trips.

Education, diversity and application are the three values AWOL strives to instill with members in order to create active citizens. Hailey Purves, a senior dental hygienist major, said active citizenship is the foundation of AWOL.

“By going on these mission trips to areas that are impoverished, it opens students’ eyes to cultural and social issues they aren’t able to see or experience in many parts of South Dakota,” Purves said. “We’re creating active citizens engaged in their communities and the world.”

A variety of trips

AWOL’s trips all focused on different communities and needs. The Chicago trip was given the opportunity to meet with a group of former prisoners through St. Leonard’s Ministries.

The goal of this trip was to shed light on the stigma surrounding prisoners. AWOL members learned about prison conditions and helped raise awareness for former prisoners.

Raven Blahnik, a senior criminal justice and psychology double major, said she saw this trip as a chance to change the stereotypes towards ex-prisoners.

“A personal goal of mine was to expose my group to these people and eliminate some of these pre-existing stereotypes,” Blahnik said. “People change in prison, and they deserve the opportunity to have a second chance when they’re out.”

Lindsay Seier, a first-year art education major, went on the Guatemala mission trip. Seier said she quickly became acclimated with the help of positive energy from the locals.

“At first, the lifestyle was a complete culture shock that was hard getting used to,” Seier said. “You realize how much we take for granted here in America when the locals are happily smiling, yet unsure if they’ll have clean drinking water for the day.”

Seier said she wanted to go on this trip because it looked the most challenging.

“I chose the Guatemala trip because I’m really passionate about dealing with homelessness and poverty, and Guatemala is one of the most challenging trips AWOL offers,” Seier said. “I just want to help.”

Junior Christian Pollema, a biology and communication studies double major, led the New Orleans mission trip. Pollema worked with the advocacy group Common Ground Relief.

“We worked to remove invasive species and planted trees in order to help restore the wetlands, which is a vital component to the environment in Louisiana,” Pollema said.

Pollema’s group took on the mission of helping impoverished areas by serving people in the Lower Ninth Ward.
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“The Lower Ninth Ward is an impoverished area close to the levees that were hit the hardest by Hurricane Katrina,” she said.

Pollema said AWOL strives to keep members continually engaged in active citizenship, not only during mission trips.

AWOL vice president Hunter Burns said the group will continue to balance its efforts to make a difference in both local and global communities.

“AWOL focuses on social issues in the various tiers of society, those being local, national, and global,” Burns said. “Additionally, we send trips across the nation to focus on issues, such as homelessness, food insecurity, health, education and many more.”