Addison Boyle, Becks Henderson, Julia Utterback, Summer Fude, Hunter Thornburg and Montana Frakes left their mark in South Carolina over Spring Break 2023.
March 30, 2023–Six students and two staff members from Missouri Western State University traveled to South Carolina over spring break to help Habitat for Humanity build a disaster relief volunteer dormitory.
“Each of them could have decided to use their time off from their studies at MWSU to do any other activity of their choosing, but they chose to come and serve!” said Ricky Hardee, executive director of the Marion-Dillon County Habitat for Humanity. “This is indicative of the type of students Missouri Western is sending out into the world.”
The students did painting and trim work on the dormitory, which is nearing completion and will be used to house individual volunteers and volunteer organizations that come to assist in the cleanup, repair and rebuild of homes following natural disasters. The region was impacted by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018.
Student volunteers were Addison Boyle, junior exercise science major from Dexter, Iowa; Montana Frakes, freshman computer science major from St. Joseph; Summer Fude, junior nursing major from Green City, Missouri; Becks Henderson, senior biology major from Grinnell, Iowa; Hunter Thornburg, freshman secondary education major from Kearney, Missouri; and Julia Utterback, senior graphic design major from Chicago, Illinois. They were accompanied by staff members Josh Clary, student development director, and Hannah Murphy, residence life coordinator.
Missouri Western State University is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit missouriwestern.edu.