Introducing Caitlin & Maggie's Guatemala ABST team for 2018:
The 2018 ABST to Guatemala is approaching quickly!! To kick off this year's blog, below are photos and bios of each member of the trip!! We have a very diverse group, but I can guarantee we are all equally excited to share our journey with you!
The 2018 ABST to Guatemala is approaching quickly!! To kick off this year's blog, below are photos and bios of each member of the trip!! We have a very diverse group, but I can guarantee we are all equally excited to share our journey with you!
Caitlin Ebert (Co-leader)
My
name is Caitlin Ebert and I am a Senior Physician's Assistant major at Gannon
University! I am from Waterford, Pennsylvania not far from Erie! I am involved
in many on campus organizations such as Phi Eta Sigma, Tri Beta, GUSPAs, and
the Gannon University Honors Program. Outside of school I spend most of my time
outdoors hunting, kayaking, hiking, and playing with my dog. As a part of the
Guatemala trip, I am incredibly excited help lead students in exploring new
aspects of their lives, meet new people, learn new culture, and expand
my knowledge of the world. Our group is incredibly diverse which is a
great asset to have on ABSTs. I believe I can bring positivity, laughter, and
an open-minded personality to the group. I am inspired by challenge and I
believe we learn the most when we do something that challenges us outside of
our comfort zone. I have participated in an ABST before, so I hope that leading
a trip will be a new challenge for me!
Maggie Rutkowski (Co-leader)
My name is Maggie Rutkowski and I am a junior Industrial
Engineering Major at Gannon! I am one of the co-leaders for the 2018 Guatemala
ABST. I am from Erie, Pa! I am a member of Gannon’s Society of Women Engineers.
My favorite hobby is photography and I spend a lot of time outside of school
going to different locations and taking pictures! This will be my second time
returning to Guatemala and I am so excited to be on this journey with a group
of such great people, and look forward to being with them as they experience
the amazing village of San Lucas and the culture they will be immersed in!
Vincent Van Gogh once said “Normality is a paved road, comfortable to walk but
no flowers grow”. ABSTs are an opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone
and immerse yourself in something different than your own self. I am excited to
take this trip with a great group of people. I am excited to take on this new
challenge and see some of the flowers that grow from this trip.
Ashely Faulkner (Accompanier)
My name is Ashley Faulkner and I am accompanying one of the
Guatemala ABST groups this year. This is my third time accompanying students to
this beautiful country and I am thrilled to be able to share this experience
with another group. I look forward to working along side of these students as
we spend our days learning about the culture, serving the community, and gaining
perspective of a country that is different from our own. The San Lucas
community is so special, and we will have the opportunity to reflect each day
on the similarities and differences, and the things that impact us most
throughout our day. I graduated from Gannon University with an undergrad in
Advertising/ Communications in 2010. I currently serve as the Marketing and
Special Program coordinator in the Wellness Department and have done so for the
past three years. I am also the facilitator for the T.R.A.V.E.L. Program where
I was able to take students to Ireland and England last year, and Greece this
year. I am the secretary of the GUSSA committee and serve on the Smoke Free
Campus Task Force here on campus. I enjoy traveling with my fiancé and friends
in my free time and am currently working on my Masters of Health Communication
degree.
Sam Hyman is a father of four, a musician and the director
of the Waldron Campus Center. He graduated as an adult student from
Mercyhurst University in 1992 with a BA in Music Composition, Music Theory and
History of Western Music. In addition to his work at Gannon, Sam performs
100+ musical engagements annually, he loves to travel, walk, cook and look
after the 20 acres of woods which surround his home. He is looking
forward to accompanying you all on the ABST to Guatemala!
Molli Hyman is a mother of four and a 1988 graduate of
Mercyhurst University with a BA in Human Ecology and Interior Design. She
is employed at Furniture Row, where she loves assisting customers with home
design projects. On days off, she loves baking, cooking, tackling home
renovation projects, and managing her husband Sam's busy performance
schedule. She is honored and excited to be an accompanier and
participant in this ABST!
Conner Wasser Kane
My
name is Conner Wasser Kane and I am a freshman Biology/Pre-Medicine major at
Gannon University. I am from Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. On campus, I am involved
with the Residence Hall Association, Relay for Life club, Fishing club, Tennis
Club, and am heavily involved with community service. Outside of college I
spend a great deal of my time exploring around where I am from, including
fishing in unique spots, kayaking and hiking. I also hunt, and work when I can.
On the Guatemala trip, I am extremely excited to be able to help out in
whatever way is possible. I believe that I can bring diligence and persistence
to the group through great work ethic. I am inspired by the belief that you can
always help others no matter how large or small that help may be.
Evan Szablewski
My name is Evan Szablewski, and I am a
senior nursing student here at Gannon University. I was born & raised in
Erie, Pennsylvania. I am a member of Alpha Tau Delta, the nursing fraternity on
campus. I also serve as a student representative on the curriculum committee
for the Villa Maria School of Nursing. Outside of school, I enjoy nature,
drawing, discovering new music, and playing/watching hockey. This will be my
first ABST trip, and I am immensely thrilled to share this mission trip with my
fellow group members. I expect this trip to be emotionally and spiritually charged,
and I am happy to be channeling that energy with the group. I have a feeling
that the places I’ll go and the people I’ll meet will shape my life for the
better as a human being, and I cannot wait to be a mirror for that experience
for the people of Guatemala.
Katie McLaughlin
My name is
Katie McLaughlin. I am a Pittsburgh girl, raised in Seven Fields, PA. GO
STILLERS. I am a senior nursing student, minoring in Spanish at Gannon
University. I am a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society. I have been a
member of the Gannon University Dance Team for four years and have recently
become the event chair. During the summer I participate in The American Cancer
Society’s Relay for life, and have been a team captain at Gannon’s Relay for
Life for the last three years. I also participated in Dance Marathon this past
year with Gannon. Outside of school I appreciate hiking, kayaking and cloud
gazing. In my free time I play the guitar and ukulele. This is my first ABST
experience! I look forward to learning about Guatemala, the people, their
culture and growing along side them. I am very excited take on this adventure
with my fellow group members during our time in Guatemala.
Maggie Waters
My name is Maggie Waters and I am a freshman Physician
Assistant major at Gannon University. I am from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which
is about two hours south of Erie. I am involved in Gannon’s Honors Program and
I am a member of GUSPAS. When I am not in school, I spend my free time
listening to music, going to concerts, and spending time with my family and
friends. I am very excited to be involved in the Guatemala ABST trip! I have
been outside of the country before, but only to Europe, so I am excited to
discover a completely new culture and a way of life. I have participated in mission
trips with local churches in my area, and I enjoy helping those in need. I am
looking forward to this new and challenging experience.
Mary Kate Pritz
Hi! My name is Mary Kate Pritz and I am a junior Physician
Assistant major at Gannon. I am from the suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA. On campus I
am involved in several groups including Alpha Gamma Delta, the honors program,
GUSPAS, and Student Pastoral Council, and I work as a biology department lab
assistant. In college I have discovered a huge love for travel and growing
outside of my comfort zone, and spent spring of 2017 studying abroad in Rome! I
am so excited to travel to Guatemala this year, both as a new destination to
explore and also as my first international service trip. I have done several
trips domestically, and now I’m excited to see the unique opportunities and
challenges facing the people of Guatemala. I am excited to serve and work
alongside the people there, and to gain new perspectives to bring back to my
day-to-day life here in Erie! I believe that service can be a truly
transformative experience, so I am excited to grow and change through my
experiences in Guatemala! One of my favorite quotes to live by is from St.
Catherine of Siena, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on
fire”. This is my first ABST, and I can’t wait for spring break to get here!
Olivia Burger
Hi
there! My name is Olivia Burger and I am a junior Pre-Optometry student here at
Gannon University. I am originally from Saegertown, Pennsylvania which isn’t
too far from the Erie area. At Gannon I am involved in various campus clubs and
organizations including Tri-Beta, Phi Eta Sigma, Art Club, and the Schuster
Patrons of the Arts. I am also the Arts and Leisure Editor of Gannon
University’s student newspaper, The Gannon Knight. This ABST trip to Guatemala
is my first ABST trip as well as my first international travel experience.
Although I’ve spent a lot of time with people of other cultures through my
volunteer work at the International Institute of Erie, I am very excited to
take this next step by traveling internationally to meet new people outside of
my home country and expand my cultural knowledge. I believe that making global
connections is a great way to better yourself and form a more united world, and
I look forward to making these connections in Guatemala!
Olivia King
My
name is Olivia King and I am a Freshman Physician Assistant major at Gannon
University. I am originally from Washington, PA, which is about an hour South
of Pittsburgh! On campus I am involved in GUSPAS, Habitat for Humanity and Game
Day Cheerleading. I enjoy spending the majority of my time with friends and
exploring the outdoors. I love to exercise, talk, and eat! I am very eager for
this trip to Guatemala, as it is my first ABST and my first time out of the
country! I’m looking forward to creating and furthering new friendships and I
am happy to be in a group with people who share
the same passion for giving back that I do.
Rachel Stubler
Hi, my name is Rachel Stubler. I am a freshman biochemistry major. I am from Rochester, NY. At Gannon, I am a member of Glamorous Gutless Girls, Gannon University Sailing Team, Tennis Club, and the Honors Program. I love spending my free time sailing, skiing, reading, and playing piano. I’m super excited to go to Guatemala because I have never done community service outside of the country. I can’t wait to immerse myself in another culture and experience a simpler lifestyle. I am inspired by the kindness of others. I try to spread kindness, living by the words of Mother Teresa, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
Way to go, Maggie!
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