Charitable Words Scholars Headed To Nicaragua For Service, Documentary

Video of the humanitarian work being done by Amigos for Christ in Nicaragua.  Its work will be one of the areas of focus for the University of Cincinnati’s Serve Beyond Cincinnati student group.

Three University of Cincinnati students will be heading to warm weather and sunshine for spring break.

But they won’t be lazing by the pool or partying the nights away. Charitable Words Scholars Brandie Potzick, Kaytlyn Exeler and Kelsey Kennedy will be in Nicaragua on a humanitarian mission and documentary project with Serve Beyond Cincinnati, a  student group that organizes alternative spring break service trips in the U.S. and abroad.

The students  will film and write a documentary about Serve Beyond’s work in construction projects to increase quality of lives around the world. Past projects include the construction of bunk housing, school and church buildings, and single-family homes in various cities throughout Mexico. Serve Beyond will be working with organizations such as Amigos for Christ, on water purification projects, delivering animals to families, visiting orphanages for children with disabilities, and observing schools located in or around Managua.

Their “reports from the field” will be published by Charitable Words, which is affiliated with the Cincinnati.com blog network, and shared on social media and traditional news outlets, including their home town newspapers.

Brandie Potzick is a sophomore Communications major. She loves to serve–whether that’s authentic country cooking at Cracker Barrel where she works, or companionship to the homeless population in her neighborhood. Brandie hopes to be a professional storyteller, in whatever shape that may reveal itself.

UC junior Kaytlyn Exeler is a veteran humanitarian. As a junior at Simon Kenton High School she spent five days of in India with 35 other volunteers from Crossroads Church in Oakley. The group, part of the church’s Justice Ministry, helped at after-care homes where girls recently liberated from the sex-slave trade now live.

Kelsey Kennedy is a senior Journalism major and an intern at Soapbox Cincinnati. She is involved with UC Feminists and is a volunteer tutor at WordPlay Cincinnati. She aspires to be a teacher – “whether that means working in the public school system or teaching English as a Second Language in Ghana or elsewhere”  Kelsey previously worked in Haiti with Serve Beyond Cincinnati.

Other Charitable Words Scholars:

Other scholars have been involved in important work in much different places, from local nonprofits to humanitarian projects globally.

• Tia Garcia, Melodic Connections.
• Sarah Jernigan, East End Adult Education Center.
• Richard Elliott, Village Life Outreach Project/Telling True Stories in Tanzania.
• Charitable Words Scholar alumnus Sarah Carpenter, Social Venture Partners

Charitable Words Scholars connects students interested in humanitarian work with nonprofits in Greater Cincinnati and around the world.

Information: tcallinan@charitablewords.com

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