Photo courtesy of Hillcrest Academy social media

The Service and Learning Term at Hillcrest Academy is a biannual event where students substitute classroom learning for a week of service experiences. Students were divided into six groups for a variety of projects throughout the state, country, and even the continent.

One such group traveled to Kentucky to support a small town devastated by a tornado. Sophomore Seth Ours, explained to KCII, “[In] 2021, there was a tornado in Dawson Springs, Kentucky that wiped out basically the whole town. So our group there, we partnered with MDS, which is Mennonite Disaster Service, in building a house for people who had lost their homes in the tornado.”

Along with Ours, students on the trip included Mariam Sow, Alex Canchola, Zoey Curtiss, Liam Schrock, Kylee Statler, Jesse Blossom, Bryce Bailey, Rowan Miller, Claire Withrow, Adrianne Blauvelt, Charlie McAndrew, and Maria Portillo. Hillcrest Academy math teacher, Nate Miller, accompanied students during the project.

The group made their return to Iowa on March 31, the same day a series of tornadoes caused destruction just yards from the school. Paired with the experiences they had in Kentucky, many students shared a newfound appreciation for the things they have, as well as the importance of community involvement.