Lots of ACU students traveled to far away places during our March Spring Break. A couple hundred students traveled to cities across the US with Spring Break campaigns – volunteering and working with local churches. And several other students planned a trip with friends to go hang out in the sun on the beach, or to their hometown to rest and relax with their families. Five students from the College of Business had another idea altogether.
They headed down to Honduras for a week of service and learning. I had a chance to ask Dr. Jinkerson, Associate Professor of Management, and SIFE sponsor, more about their trip. Here’s what he shared:
1) How many students went to Honduras?
5 SIFE Students
2) What was the primary focus of the trip?
To meet up with some 65 other college students from sister institutions (Harding, Freed, Lipscomb) and work with a local missionary (Marc Tindell) to serve the people in Honduras. The ACU students went to the “Dump” (landfill outside of Tegusagalpa) where people actually live and survive. Twice that week, they went to the Dump and fed the people living there. They provide beans, rice, totillas, and clean water. Two other days, they build houses for individuals that had no place to live. A house is a 16×16 structure with a floor, window, door and tin roof. For people who are used to having nothing, it is like a mansion. On another day, they went to visit the local hospital where they spent time with kids (some of which are dying). We provided hamburgers to the families that had kids in the hospital.
3) Tell us about three highlights from the group’s trip?
See poverty up close and treating those people with love and respect.
4) What lesson or lessons do you hope the students walked away with?
To thank God for the blessings that we have and never take those for granted. Also, Jesus in Matthew 25 said that we are to feed the hungry, cloth the naked, and visit the sick. That is what we tried to do.
5) How do experiences like Honduras enhance the business principles our students are learning in the classroom?
Our next project down there will involve establishing a business where they will grow produce and fish for food and provide enough to sell so that they can provide for their families. Our students will help with the business plans as well as some of the market research. Internships will also be available in the future.
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At the end of March, thirteen COBA students traveled to Chicago for a regional competition. Our team presented four different projects:
- Enterprise City – legacy project to teach business processes to 4th and 5th graders
- My Friend Morgan – ethics for college students
- New Horizons – part of the Lowe’s grant to provide and build furniture for kids in Foster Care
- Honduras (see above)
We are excited to participate in these types of competitions. They offer unique opportunities for our students to continue learning about the marketplace and using business to serve, outside the classroom, in real life ways that impact real people. We are so proud of our SIFE team – they placed First Runner Up in the regional competition and will continue working on the New Horizons and Honduras projects for the rest of the year.
To learn more about the international, non-profit organization, SIFE, click here.
