Kelsey Mikula Will Travel to Nicaragua for Medical Service Learning Experience

2012 Jun 8

Thirty-four Augustana College students will travel to Nicaragua for two weeks in July. Students in pre-health fields will work with a combination of physicians from the United States and Nicaragua to provide services in areas of the country which do not have permanent medical facilities.

Kelsey Mikula, a senior from Morris, Ill., majoring in biology, will participate on this trip.

According to Dr. Allen Bertsche, director of international/off-campus study, "These students will receive a truly international experience that will expand their understanding of medicine and life outside of the United States."

At Augustana, students choosing to study abroad can receive financial support from the college thanks to a program launched in 2009 called Augie Choice. Focused on advancing student learning in the liberal arts, Augie Choice grants students in their junior year or beyond the opportunity to receive a one-time grant of $2,000 to offset the expenses of study abroad, an internship or research project. Augie Choice funding, which recently surpassed the $1.4-million milestone, is a visible symbol of the college's commitment to experiential learning as a way of preparing students to stand out among their peers.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college enrolls 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers nearly 90 majors and related areas of study. Augustana employs 182 full-time faculty and has a student-faculty ratio of 12:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.