Several member of the Southwestern College Leadership team spent their spring break helping survivors of Hurricane Harvey, which struck Houston in August.

According to Southwestern junior Bailey Pfingsten, who organized the trip, 17 team members helped demolish the interiors of two houses that were covered in mold due to the flooding. This was done in partnership with the Saint Bernard Project. Their goal was to cut down on the rebuild time and get families back in their homes faster.  In total, the team donated 209 hours of service. She says that is an estimated $4,924.56 donated by the Leadership team to the hurricane relief effort.

“Last year the team decided our trip destination would be Maine,” Pfingsten says.  “But then, once we were all back at school and after the hurricane hit, our team decided that as servant leaders our services would be better spent helping those affected by the hurricane. I am proud to be a part of a team that cares about the world and works to make an impact.  It was a lot of fun to spend time and bond with teammates while also making a difference in a community.”

The team also had some fun including line dance lessons, a day trip to the Riverwalk where they met up with alumnus Aidan Goodrich who is working at SeaWorld, and lots of team bonding navigating Houston traffic.

Leadership Southwestern team members experience service learning trips where members get to experience a new part of the world while serving others.  Following a four-year rotation, students have the opportunity to participate in trips in Kansas, outdoors location, an urban location, and an international site. These trips allow students to serve culturally diverse populations and learn more about being a leader in a global society.