Winifred Wilson served in Guatemala with Baldwin Wallace University Honors Program

2016 Aug 23

Winifred Wilson of Cleveland was among 20 Baldwin Wallace University Honors Program students who participated in a service-learning experience this spring with Mission Guatemala, a United Methodist Church-affiliated organization. The trip to Guatemala was the culmination of a program that combined eight weeks of in-class study with overseas travel and brought intrinsic meaning and impactful service opportunities. Wilson, a graduate of Cleveland Central Catholic High School majoring in psychology, spent two weeks learning about Guatemalan government interventions, environmental impact, nutritional strategies in schools and more, while gaining cultural understanding through one-on-one interactions with local citizens.

"BW students had an amazing opportunity to experience Guatemalan culture-most specifically the Mayan indigenous community-from myriad angles," said Ken Schneck, a faculty participant on the trip. He also noted, "Through all of this activity, the students were engaged in a constant self-reflection loop by which they examined both their own relationship to culture and the global effects of their day-to-day actions."

The Baldwin Wallace Honors Program helps motivated and talented students make the most of their college experience by joining a community of scholars dedicated to academic excellence, leadership development and community engagement. The program offers unique courses and an enhanced core curriculum that blend the theoretical and the practical. Encouraging academic exploration and independent thinking, the honors program can augment any program of study and expand the opportunities available to students.