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n June a group of 16 students and faculty traveled to Hungary, “praising God for allowing us to serve humbly as His ambassadors, and asking Him to make us worthy representatives of WLC and our country,” said Dr. Sharon Burow, associate professor of early childhood education and longtime leader of the Hungary initiative. Since the mid-1990s she has taken a group to Hungary for a service learning experience every other summer. Most often, the WLC students (who major in various fields of study, in addition to teacher education) work in high school camps, teaching conversational English and helping lead other activities throughout the two-week session. “Our relationship with educators in Budapest and Pecs, Hungary, is well-rooted, and getting stronger all the time,” Burow acknowledged. “The intent of our international servant leadership project is to model Christian and social responsibility through heartfelt sensitivity to the needs of others. It is about growing the giver and the receiver under the umbrella of teaching conversational English.”
WLC senior and communication major Alayna Greenfield organized a volleyball skills camp on campus last April. She called the camp “The Hungary Games,” and raised nearly $1,000, which she used to purchase educational resources to give to the Round World Foundation, a Christian organization in Pecs, Hungary, that serves physically and cognitively challenged children and adults. Greenfield (right) traveled to Hungary in June to teach conversational English.
Fiji and Chimfunshi serve as study sites for WLC students
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tudents of anthropology and sociology are advised to seek out real-world applications of their studies, often in their third year of study. “Over the past two semesters, two students of anthropology visited remote locations in Africa and the South Pacific,” said Dr. Ned Farley, assistant professor of anthropology.
Senior Cassandra Gamble, an interdisciplinary major pursuing a program of study highlighting healthcare services and cultural anthropology, visited the island nation of Fiji. Her semester abroad was spent immersing herself in the language and customs of indigenous Fijians. Gamble, now back on campus, is working on a capstone project for Samantha Nigbur made friends with children living in the nearby village of Muchinchi when not working. her interdisciplinary major that focuses on the cultural interplay between Chinese global business and a traditional Fijian way of life.
Cassandra Gamble spent time with school children on the island nation of Fiji.
Samantha Nigbur, a senior biology major, spent her summer in the Copperbelt region of northern Zambia at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust. The focus of her study was a colony of great apes protected by the orphanage. Her work, specifically with the common chimpanzee, was focused on aggressive behavior during feedings at the orphanage, closely examining the physiological effects of stress.
Students present at international marine biology session in Jamaica
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mily Bolda ’13, biology graduate, and senior Katie Musser ’14, a marine biology major, along with Dr. Robert Anderson, WLC professor of biology, moderated a session at the Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean’s 36th annual scientific meeting. The two WLC students presented the results of five years of research on Grenada’s coral reefs at the session, which was held in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, in June 2013. Wisconsin Lutheran College | 19
teaching and learning
Strong relationship between WLC and Hungary nurtures servant learning program