Learning to serve is what Jasmine Bannister and Autumn Snesrud plan to do this summer. The two Kansas State University juniors are Iola natives and will be working across the world to help others.
The two young women will serve in Ocean View, South Africa, for nine weeks for a K-State program, International Service Teams. The students will be working with an organization called Volunteer Mzansi. The program utilizes the students’ majors for the trip. Bannister is majoring in music education and Snesrud is majoring in secondary education English. While in South Africa, Bannister will work in a school with children who have special needs and Snesrud will work in a school.
“It will be winter holiday when we are there so we will help with a holiday camp,” Snesrud said.
The women wanted to do something meaningful and helpful during their summer break this year.
“I’ve gone on mission trips before and realized I was lacking something throughout college and it was service,” Snesrud said. “The fact that I get to immerse myself in another culture will be great.”
Bannister also had served on mission trips before but she is especially looking forward to this trip.
“As an education major I’m looking forward to experiencing the different education systems,” Bannister said.
Five other students will travel with the girls. Each team will have a different project and will live with a host family within the community. The students are enrolled in a class to learn about the culture and community they will be serving in.
Though internet access will be limited during the week, they plan to update a travel blog once a week. The girls both agree it will be nice to be disconnected for awhile.
TO HELP raise funds for the trip the girls are hosting a fundraiser dinner at 5:30 p.m., Sunday, at the Iola Middle School. The dinner will have sloppy joes and it will be a free-will donation. Bannister is a part of an improv group at K-State, On The Spot, and the group will perform for the dinner guests. The girls’ friend, Maggie Wilson, Iola, will also play music during the dinner.
Beginning at 4 p.m. there will be an improv workshop for middle and high school students. The On The Spot welcomes anyone who is interested in improv.
The girls said that the schools they will be helping at have a huge need for school supplies. If people would like to bring school supplies to the dinner they will take them to the students. The girls will leave for the trip on May 23.
For more information on the dinner or the trip people can contact Snesrud at [email protected].
