Two members of the Peace Corps, Mike and Gail Messick, visited the high school Thursday, Feb. 15 to share their stories of volunteer work with students in English 12 and Healthy Cuisine classes.
During their visit, the Messicks explained volunteers must always be asking themselves what can be done to help and improve the lives of those in need.
“I’ve learned that every act of service does indeed make a difference, and every time I serve, I learn and grow more,” Gail said.
Mike added the Messicks worked with the Peace Corps in the Caribbean for two years before returning to the states to start a family and build their careers. There, they continued to work for local service organizations, like schools and churches.
Almost 40 years and four children later, they decided to volunteer once again for the Peace Corps and were assigned to a small southern African country called Eswatini from 2010 to 2014, Gail explained.
Upon continuing her passion, Gail said she worked as a Peace Corps recruiter and traveled around spreading information and awareness of the organization with schools, churches and other groups.
The Messicks’ visit is part of a new project surrounding service introduced in English teacher Beth Brendle’s senior classes. Brendle said she showed her students two documentaries titled “Living on $1” and “Pennies a Day” to teach them more about how the world works outside of school.
Brendle said students should focus on empathy for others and awareness of cultures outside of Bexley. Kindness and curiosity are core values of the district that each teacher strives to instill within their students, she added.
Senior Mia Boxill, a student in Brendle’s English 12 class, said she found the Messicks’ presentation interesting and informative.
She added the presentation inspired her to think about future service and what students could do to better their surrounding environment.
Knowing how to interact with all different types of people is something Boxill said she hopes to expand upon within her own life.
Similar to the Messicks, Boxill would consider working with the Peace Corps later in her life, she added.
“Always be open to helping people who are different from you,” Boxill said.
Gail added the organization looks for people who are willing to step out of their own world and do something for others while being resourceful and flexible.
“You have to be willing to do whatever is needed and sometimes that means you will be asked to do something you do not know how to do,” she said.