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Some clients may not speak English. Others come to the United States from extreme poverty or have never lived outside of their small village. A group of 15 Winona State University students and two professors in the counselor education department spent 10 days in Guatemala this summer to see for themselves the kinds of conditions many of their future students and clients come from.
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“Nothing compares to real-life experience,” WSU student Angie Brewer-Ottum said. “You learn that empathy part that you need as counselors.”
Led by Mary Fawcett and her colleague Cynthia Briggs from WSU-Rochester, the team spent most of their trip in Antigua, a city about the size of Winona in the highlands of Guatemala. They learned about mental health issues and immersed themselves in the culture by taking Spanish lessons and meeting the residents.
Many students struggled with the language, but that was part of the point, Fawcett said. She wanted them to struggle with communication and culture shock in much the same way their future students and clients will.
“It was really eye opening for them,” she said. “When a kid comes to them from Mexico or Guatemala, now they’ll understand how painful it is to be brand new from a place like that.”
The trip wasn’t just about observation, as students worked with Common Hope, a St. Paul-based organization that provides educational and housing resources for Guatemalans. They participated in service learning projects, including hauling building materials up part of a mountain. Brewer-Ottum said she was struck by the poverty in the Central American country but also by how friendly and positive everyone was.
She recalled meeting a woman outside a café who begged for food and money. When Brewer-Ottum gave her some food, she said she will never forget the look in the woman’s eyes and the appreciation she showed for a small amount of food.
“I don’t know how to explain it. It was just love she showed,” Brewer-Ottum said. “No matter how bad the situation is it doesn’t defeat them. I wanted to bring home that mindset.”
Part of the trip was funded by a grant from the La Crosse Community Foundation, with the condition the students share their experience with the La Crosse, Wis., community.
The group will discuss their trip at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The event, held in Room 339 of the Cartwright Center, is free and open to the public. Those interested in attending should call Stephanie Thorson at (507) 453-3519, or Fawcett at (507) 457-5338.
Nolan Rosenkrans may be reached at (507) 453-3519 or at nolan.rosenkrans@lee.net.
