A service trip to India and Sri Lanka reshaped how Southwestern College sophomore Mackinzie Reinert sees the world. The second-year nursing major returned from the opportunity of a lifetime as a “completely different person.”
Reinert had never left the U.S. prior to her trip.
“It was eye-opening to me, knowing that they are doing the same things I am doing is very reassuring. Going in, I wanted to experience meeting new people and the culture,” Reinert said.
Reinert said she has discovered a renewed sense of care, gratitude, and compassion for people, values that will prove invaluable as she pursues a nursing career.
“I feel like I am a completely different person. The places I went, the environment is not the United States. I am more grateful for the things I have.”
Reinert and the Center’s mission in India was to support and assist people dealing with HIV and AIDS. She visited a children’s home supporting kids with HIV, an experience Reinert described as difficult, because of the stigma and the lack of education. For her, the trip always circled back to the kids.
The group also visited shelters and conducted workshops in various cities, including Chennai, Namakkal, Koli Hills, Kolkata, and Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Center focused largely on presenting workshops, educating and supporting people with HIV and AIDS.
The opportunity for Reinert did not come easily.
This life-changing experience was made possible by Billie Day, a Southwestern College graduate who is a volunteer and donor of the Center.
Following a trip to Africa, Day contacted Southwestern and wanted to provide a similar opportunity to a deserving SC student.
Southwestern College president, Liz Frombgen and Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Sarah Hallinan, reached out to offer the opportunity to work with people in India struggling with HIV and AIDS. Reinert and three other students went through the selection process, meeting the Center’s Director, Justin Levy, the Founder, Don Messer, and Day. After filling out an application, Reinert was selected.
“I want to be a nurse, so I think that going to a third-world country would better educate me on the resources and how much we have versus how much they don’t have,” Reinert said. “In turn, it will make me a better nurse. A lot of compassion comes with that.”
According to Reinert, the experience was invaluable and highlighted how much she learned about the stigma against HIV, how people were treated, and how important education was in person.
The Center for Health and Hope, founded by Dr. Don Messer, a member of the United Methodist Church’s Global AIDS Committee focuses on supporting individuals affected by HIV and AIDS. The Center supports humanitarian efforts and works in India, Sri Lanka, the US, Kenya, and Rwanda.
Levy described how the group met with those affected, helping them live long, healthy lives and supporting them in any way they could. The group met with nursing students, spoke with substance rehab treatment centers, and spent time with “Income Generator Projects and shelters.”
“It’s incredibly rewarding to connect with people, and regardless of one’s studies, to have an experience overseas like that is so special,” he said.
Levy said the experience was incredibly meaningful for everyone involved and that Reinert’s opportunity to meet with other students gave her a new appreciation and perspective on life.
As Reinert returns to Southwestern’s campus, she’s taken with her the skills that will serve her for the rest of her career and life.
Reinert’s experience in India and Sri Lanka shows the power of opportunity and what happens when one isn’t afraid of experiencing something new.