Honors Program students spent their winter break in Texiguat, Honduras to further develop their project on renovating an old military headquarters building into a museum about Francisco Morazán, a Central American politician and general who supported independence from Spain and democracy. The group includes Morgan Greenbury, architectural engineering; Karis Johnson, civil engineering; Samantha Sterritt, computer science; and Annabelle Varsek, architectural engineering, and they were advised by Dr. Patrick Jung, Humanities, Social Science and Communication Department. Together the team is tackling three main components: curating the museum, creating the website and fundraising. 

This trip was dedicated to making connections with local leaders to discuss the project’s progress and future goals, as well as gather more information on Francisco Morazán. They met with the mayor, the town committee, museum committee and other leading authorities and individuals interested in the project.

“Making connections increased our access to information, publicity and support for the team and project,” explained Varsek. “Morgan, Karis, and I worked with the architect to ensure that the renovations being done were faithful to the original building and meeting the town’s desires.”

Sterritt served as the translator for the group, playing a key role in making connections and gaining information.

“I grew up speaking Spanish with my family, but using it with strangers truly pushed me to grow more confident and quicker with my Spanish, said Sterritt. “I also loved learning more about the history of Francisco Morazán and his impact on the people of Honduras as a whole. I saw how important Morazán is to the people of Honduras today.”

The group enjoyed stepping out of their comfort zones, making new connections and learning more about Morazán and the local culture.

“I learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” said Varsek. “As the only member with no Spanish history, it required a lot of patience and communicating through motions. It also provided the opportunity to create precious moments, such as a little girl teaching me different Spanish words and teaching each other different handshakes. Even though we couldn't speak, we still were able to have a connection. That taught me that lack of knowledge shouldn't stop me from getting out of my comfort zone.”

Projects like these provide students with the unique opportunity to gain hands-on experiences outside of the classroom, learn about new cultures, make new connections and serve others. Varsek emphasized the use of the Servant-Leader Mindset while working on the project. “It requires us to focus on doing tasks as the committee wanted, focusing on their preferences and achieving them through active listening. It truly allowed us to connect with the community and history of Texiguat and Honduras.”

Now back on campus, the group plans to continue to work on the website for the town, ensuring it highlights local businesses and captures the natural beauty of Texiguat, Honduras. They will also continue with the curation of the museum with all the documents, books and contacts made through this trip. The museum renovations will begin once the mayor is able to secure funding through the government, which now that the final renovation blueprints are completed, should be soon.