Mackinzie Reinert
Service Abroad Shapes Southwestern College Nursing Student's Perspective
Story by Eamon Shaw
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.
[PHOTO: Reinert poses for a photo at a women’s center in India, while working with other nurses and the Center for Health and Hope.]
“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.
“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.”
She has discovered a newfound care, gratitude, and compassion for people, values that will prove invaluable, as she pursues a nursing career.
[PHOTO: Reinert presents in front of schoolchildren at a children’s home, while on a service trip in India.]
Reinert and the Center’s mission in India was to support and assist people dealing with HIV and AIDS. Reinert 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 did workshops in various cities including Chennai, Namakkal, Koli Hills, Kolkata, and Colombo in 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 works for the Center for Health and Hope. Following a trip to Africa, Day contacted Southwestern and wanted to provide a similar opportunity to a deserving SC student.
[PHOTO: Reinert poses alongside Center for Health and Hope doctors and leaders, while staying at the hotel during the service trip.]
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 Director of the Center, Justin Levy, Founder, Dawn 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 focuses on helping those affected by HIV and AIDS, started by Dr. Dawn Messer, working with the United Methodist Church, the Center supports humanitarian efforts and works in India, Sri Lanka, the US, Kenya, and Rwanda.
[PHOTO: Reinert poses alongside children and adults affected by HIV, while receiving a decorative necklace in India.]
Levy described how the group met with those affected, helping them to live long and healthy lives and supporting people in any way they can. 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,” Levy said.
Levy said how incredibly meaningful the experience was for everyone involved and how 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 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 you aren’t afraid of experiencing something new.
