Norfolk State University announced that students and faculty from the School of Social Work are in Jamaica this week for a service-learning trip.
Nine students volunteered at a children's school, donated goods to local organizations, and participated in educational events focused on the Caribbean islands' history and culture.
According to Sharon Alson, associate professor of social work at NSU, the group will return to campus next week.
In previous years, Hampton University students traveled to Panama City for service learning, where they immersed themselves in the culture of the Embera, prepared over 12,500 meals at a local food bank, and visited an orphanage to donate supplies and tour classrooms.
They also toured the Panama Canal to learn about its design, history, and significance to Panama's economy and global relations.
Since 2016, students have also participated in service-learning trips to Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.
Sherika Shaw Ekpo, chief human resources officer, shared on LinkedIn that last year her daughter met a woman who would significantly influence her future. (Photo: Sherika Shaw Ekpo on LinkedIn)
In January of 2025, her family attended an alumni event when Ohio State was in town to play Notre Dame.
Sherika's husband, Anyanime Ekpo, an Ohio State engineering graduate, and the couple's youngest daughter, Ayanna, had the opportunity to meet Dr. Ayanna Howard of The Ohio State University College of Engineering.
For 10-year-old Ayanna, meeting a distinguished Black woman in STEM who shared her name and led a top engineering school was especially meaningful.
This week, Dr. Howard was named President of Spelman College, the institution Ayanna aspires to attend.
The Ekpos are grateful their daughter can see women like Dr. Howard breaking barriers and leading institutions. Such experiences inspire confidence, ambition, and future aspirations.