Three students are participating in the Manchester University Summer Service Program this summer. They each will be spending 10 weeks at a site volunteering and making a difference in someone’s life.

Cally Miller is a junior at Manchester University majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry and Spanish. She is originally from Elkhart, Ind. Cally has volunteered in nursing homes and at her local church in the preschool classes. She is also a member of Manchester University’s Habitat for Humanity chapter. This summer she will be volunteering at the Wheeler Mission, a Christian organization that provides shelter and rehabilitation programs for women, men and children who have been impacted by drug and alcohol addiction. She hopes to gain insight into how to best serve people who struggle with these issues and apply this knowledge to her future career goal of being a family physician in an underserved area. She knows that this summer will provide valuable experiences that will be wonderful, challenging, and valued for years to come.

Genoveva Ramirez is a sophomore at Manchester University majoring in French and secondary education with minors in Spanish and TESOL. After she graduates, she hopes to teach English abroad for a few years, perhaps in countries where there is need for TESOL like France, the Dominican Republic or Africa. She would then like to eventually come back to the United States to become a French teacher ina a public school, spending her summers participating in community service in French speaking countries.

Genoveva was born in Guanajuato, Mexico to her parents Antonio and Maria Luz Ramirez and moved to the United States when she was three years old. She is from Akron, Ind.

Because of her diverse background, she developed an interest for languages and cultures. Now Genoveva can speak three languages (Spanish, English and French), and volunteers as a translator/interpreter for the Hispanic community in her hometown.

This summer Genoveva will be volunteering at Interval House in Long Beach, Calif., an organization that helps victims of domestic violence. Given their diverse client base, Genoveva will be able to utilize her French and Spanish language skills on a daily basis.

She is sure this will be a life-changing experience, and is so grateful for the opportunity and what's to come!

Maggie Carpenter is a first-year student at Manchester. She is majoring in elementary education with a minor in mild intervention. Maggie's hometown is Crawfordsville, Ind. This year she will be volunteering at Camp Courageous in Monticello, Iowa. Maggie hopes to gain experience working with special need kids and adults, while also gaining patience and an understanding for some lifestyle difficulties of the campers she will be assisting.