Service to others

For the third year, a faith-driven group of Iowa high school students have spent part of their summer doing service work in north Mississippi, building relationships and restoring facilities at Rust College in Holly Springs.

Youth Leader Brian Valde brought 16 high school students and eight adult chaperones from Shueyville United Methodist Church in Shueyville, Iowa, to the Holly Springs campus for the week. The connection originally began in 2023 through a pastoral contact.

The church is located in a small community between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City in the eastern part of the state.

The young volunteers have completed tasks ranging from tree trimming and storm cleanup to painting athletic dugouts, refreshing administrative offices, and hanging new curtains and lighting in residence halls.

This year, the group tore down and rebuilt the dugouts at the Bearcats’ baseball field, work that was completely paid for by the Iowa church.

Funding the annual trip requires year-round dedication from the Shueyville congregation. The group have hosted trivia nights and will have special holiday offerings, alongside their signature “cinnamon roll Sundays,” where youth arrive at 5:30 a.m. To prepare fresh baked goods for churchgoers.

“We call it a mission trip, doing the work of God,” Valde said, noting that students range from incoming freshmen through graduating seniors. “We are helping others, and we hope they learn from that, they build their faith in God, and see what we can do to bring happiness to others.”

The continuous partnership has forged a strong bond between the Iowa church and the historically Black liberal arts college, an institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

Dr. Michael Harpe, Rust College Vice President for Student Engagement, praised the youth group’s hard work, emphasizing that the students perform demanding physical labor to improve campus aesthetics.

Beyond manual labor, college leadership views the trip as an invaluable educational cultural exchange, allowing the Midwestern high schoolers to experience collegiate campus living, dorms, and community life in Mississippi.

“Every moment is a teachable moment,” Harpe said. “This is an opportunity for them to get acclimated to collegiate life while living out their faith. They are living the words they speak, and we look forward to continuing this relationship for years to come.”