The School of Nursing asks students each spring semester to assist Health Talents International, a group who promotes medical evangelism in developing countries. This year’s group will work as a health team to promote women’s health.

Meghann McLeskey senior nursing major from Burnet, Allie Greco junior nursing major from Allen and Christina Ponomarenko junior nursing major from League City are attending this year’s trip to Guatemala. They will work alongside Executive Director of HTI Rick Harper to gain experience in the field of nursing.

“It’s a really cool experience, especially for nursing students to get exposed to our field,” Greco said. “We’re going to be able to do things there in Guatemala that we could not do as a student nurse at Hendrick Hospital.”

Dr. Hammack, dean of the School of Nursing, said while these young women are in Guatemala, another group of seven nursing students will go to Haiti with an organization called Live Beyond, an organization that provides medical mission work for students as well.

The trip was planned because only 11 spots were available for the spring break medical mission trip to Guatemala, therefore lessening the opportunity for many students to go. The students who helped during the spring break mission trip came back and shared their experiences with the girls.

For McLeskey, her minor in missions is a reason behind her decision to go to Guatemala.

“It’s just something that has been on my heart my whole life,” McLeskey said. “Specifically medical missions are what I would like to do, so I jumped at the opportunity to go to Guatemala.”

For Greco, she always wanted to study abroad, but her time at ACU was too fleeting.

“I knew there would be a lot of opportunities coming to ACU, but study abroad was a far-fetched idea for a nursing student,” Greco said. “This is my chance to experience a different culture, learn more about the field and do God’s work in the process.”

An average day for the nursing students will be to wake up around 6 a.m. and assist in surgeries from 7:30 a.m. until 9 p.m., a full day in which they will receive a lot of experience.

The girls leave from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Saturday and will return on Saturday, April 5th.