COLUMBIA, Ky. – For five groups of Lindsey Wilson College students, spring break was a time of learning, service and performance.
The quintet of groups, which included nearly 100 students, learned about service and hospitality at sea, studied nursing practices in the United Kingdom, sang for the U.S. Marines Corps, toured behind the scenes at Walt Disney World and worked on homes in northeastern Florida.
The spring break excursions were the latest examples of the college’s efforts to provide students with off-campus learning opportunities that enhance their academic majors and expand their career opportunities.
Recreation, Tourism & Sport Management professor Ginni Dilworth, who oversaw one of the study trips, said the experiences are “incredible educational adventures made possible by Lindsey Wilson’s commitment to broadening the student experience.”
For Lindsey Wilson senior Karli Hurt of Russell Springs, Kentucky, the opportunity to see parts of Walt Disney World behind the magic curtain was a “once-in-a-lifetime experience that combined fun with learning.” Hurt was among nearly two dozen art and communication majors who got to “carefully explore each park through a different lens.”
The communication students conducted a communication analysis of the Walt Disney World parks and property and participated in a special workshop and tour with Disney Imagination Campus on immersive storytelling.
“Through this workshop, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of how communication can bring the stories we create to life and impact our experiences,” said Hurt, who is a double major in communication and human services and counseling. “I will be forever grateful, as this trip allowed me to see firsthand how storytelling looks in action as well as gave me insight into how I can use what I am studying in college.”
Service in Florida, California
On the other side of Florida, a dozen Lindsey Wilson students were involved with an annual community-service program in the northeastern city of St. Augustine. The students, who are members of the college’s Bonner Scholars Program service-learning initiative, volunteered with the St. Augustine Lighthouse and St. Johns Housing Partnership.
“It’s so touching to see our first-year Bonner students come together on this trip and bond in a unique way through their service to others,” said Director of Civic Engagement, Student Leadership and the Bonner Scholar Program Kisha Burton, who has been part of more than a dozen of the annual spring break service-learning trips.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, the Lindsey Wilson Singers performed for several diverse audiences in Southern California, including at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, a retirement home and a homeless shelter. They also reconnected with members of the El Segundo High School Choir, several of whom the Singers met last summer at the Dublin Choral Festival.
Sabrina Ruiz ’26, an arts administration major from Louisville, Kentucky, said that the choral group’s performances on their annual spring tour confirmed her decision to pursue a career in the arts.
“I saw how art affects people, and how grateful people were for me to share my gift,” she said.
Nursing in the U.K., Hospitality in the Caribbean
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, 11 nursing majors and three faculty members had “an unforgettable time” in London, according to Lindsey Wilson Director of Nursing Dr. Emiley Button.
The group explored healthcare by meeting with the chief nursing officer of a major London hospital, toured an historic operating theater where medical students once observed surgical techniques in medicine’s early days in England and visited the Florence Nightingale Museum, where students learned about the life of Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
Aboard the Caribbean Princess and at a port stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, students in the recreation, tourism and sport management program applied their knowledge of hospitality and service management from classes to what they observed.
For Alex Beam ’26 of Cynthiana, Kentucky, the spring break experience helped him move one step closer toward his goal of opening a faith-based gym.
“Attending the gym classes, meeting the trainers and attending the different yoga classes helped me think more about my career,” said Beam, who is a Christian ministries major and recreation, tourism and sport management minor.
Kyra Engel ’26 of Espa, Germany, made her second spring break study trip on a cruise, which she said helped make things “more chill and relaxed because I knew what was coming.”
“That helped me focus more on studying the people who they were serving,” she said.
Ruiz said the Lindsey Wilson Singers’ spring tour reminded her of the plethora of academic-enrichment opportunities offered to Lindsey Wilson students.
“It’s made me realize how many incredible opportunities there are at our school for students to travel and study,” she said.
PHOTO – Members of the Lindsey Wilson College Bonner Scholars Program stand in front of one of the houses they served for the St. Johns Housing Partnership in St. Augustine, Florida.
PHOTO – Students in the Lindsey Wilson College recreation, tourism and sport management program spent their spring break studying hospitality and service management aboard the Caribbean Princess.
PHOTO – Members of the Lindsey Wilson College nursing program gather in front of Kensington Palace during their academic field trip to study nursing in the United Kingdom.
PHOTO – Members of the Lindsey Wilson College Singers join members of the El Segundo High School Choir during the Singers’ spring break tour in Southern California.
PHOTO – Lindsey Wilson College art and communication students spent their spring break at Walt Disney World in Florida, where they learned some of the magic behind the Magic Kingdom.
(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson College)