On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the country of Haiti, leaving three million people affected. With 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater and death tolls ranging from 100,00 to 159,000 – some saying 220,000 to 316,000 – this event quickly became a tragedy that still affects the country today.

When Ashland University’s Director of Tutoring and Learning Services Bruce Keller first heard of this catastrophe, it was no question that his spring break would be spent helping the country get back on its feet.

 “I thought I was going down to pour concrete,” he said. “But low and behold it was a lot different than that. The Lord has put me at disposal of a lot of tools here that are useful there.” 

Keller has been to Haiti four times since his first trip in 2011. He goes with a group of about 15 other people through his church. Although his first trip was spent doing construction work, Keller said he found his real passion after discovering that what the school really needed was a new computer lab. 

“We have raised $40,000,” he said. “Last September we went down to install the lab. We flew four of the Haitian staff up here to Ashland and trained them over in Patterson on how to use the equipment. We got the lab put in, had to redo all the electrical wiring, run all the wiring for the computers…” 

Keller has made the computer lab his primary goal and continuously works on it, even while home in Ashland. He has been fundraising money and working on grants since he got back from his first trip in order to make this dream of a computer lab a possibility. 

Keller currently has a $35,000 grant out and is attempting to raise money for it. The goal of this grant involves Ashland University in more ways than one. 

“Some of the education professors have expressed interest in having our field experience classes actually get online and teach classes to the schools in Haiti,” he said. “In addition, there is an entrepreneurial project that our business students are going to help with – teaching their students how to build a basic business plan and how to look for business opportunities.” 

Since Keller’s main focus is the computer lab, he has been working closely with one school in particular in Haiti. It is the second highest ranked school in the nation of Haiti with 550 students ranging from preschool through grade 13. 

“By the time they get to their last grade, they will have learned Creole, their native language, Spanish, French, and English,” he said. “And they also get philosophy.” 

When traveling to Haiti, Keller hopes to bring 12 suitcases with him. These suitcases will hold items purely for the kids, and items that Keller hopes will be donated. These items include school supplies such as crayons, coloring books, pens and pencils, as well as personal items such as toiletries, clothing, soccer balls, frisbess, and stickers. However, no items will be turned away. The last day to donate items is February 19. Money will be accepted, but is not used for expenses of the trip; any financial donation is used to buy more equipment and school supplies needed for the students. 

This trip in March will be Keller’s fifth trip to Haiti and he plans to go back again in June and possibly again in the Fall to completely finish the computer lab. Although he has been to Haiti in the past, Keller said each experience is different and he looks forward to each one, and said that the trips have changed his life in ways he couldn’t have imagined.

“I should have done this 100 years ago,” he said. “It’s just something that has touched my heart to such a degree that when I am finished working here, I can see myself doing it full time.”

Other groups on campus are also busying themselves with fundraising for other trips as spring break approaches. One group in particular is AU’s Newman Catholic Campus Ministries. 

Every year, the group takes an international mission trip, and this year the group is taking 14 students to Nicaragua. 

While in the foreign country, the students will work in the construction of an orphanage as well as serve the homeless in soup kitchens. 

This trip is almost all funded by the students themselves. As of now, the group is $14,000 away from their goal. 

“The best way is to send your donation to the Center of Religious Life at AU, making sure to note if you want your donation applied to a specific student,” said Nate Addington, Campus Minister at AU and staff leader for Nicaragua. 

Many students going to Nicaragua have been to other trips, but still find it difficult to meet their financial goal. Senior Meg Collier went to Jamaica last year with Newman and is going to Nicaragua this year. 

“Last year, we sold homemade loaves of bread,” she said. “I also relied on donations from other people who were willing to support the cause, which I am very grateful for.” 

This year, Collier was lucky enough to receive a scholarship from the university to attend the Nicaragua trip. However, she still had to raise a hefty amount of money for the trip, and is accompanying other students on meeting their goals. 

She said that she understands how hard it can be to receive help when it comes to money. 

“I don’t have a community of people who I can ask help from in order to fund a mission trip,” she said. “I also have a hard time asking people for help in general.” 

Addington said that if anyone wishes to donate to the trip or has any further questions, they can contact the Center of Religious Life. 

Although the trips may be intimidating, and the financial commitment big, Collier encourages students to go on the trips anyway. 

“I would advise everyone to go on one of these trips at least once during their undergraduate career,” she said. “My advice is to try it out and be surprised at what it can teach you about yourself.”