A multitude of students on campus are standing as pillars of the community through their humanitarian expeditions over the summer. Many ventured out to assist in the aid of various less fortunate areas of the world while others traveled to nearby cities such as Compton, California.

“It was really good to get the broadened perspective of just how blessed we are to live in this country,” senior Mason Welch stated.

Many students had taken a trip to Lima, Peru  through the Humanitarian Experience for Youth organization (HEFY) and the LDS church. The organization brought a large group to construct various buildings and experience the country’s diverse culture.

Students took part in various labor projects such as constructing schools, medical centers, and soup kitchens. They worked diligently while mixing cement by hand, tying rebar, and laying brick.

“We had to dig meter deep trenches [which] was all granite and we only had shovels,” senior Taylor Clouse added.

The Spanish language barrier proved to be a bit of a struggle for some.

“I couldn’t speak Spanish,” stated Clouse, “and that was all they spoke so that was a little hard.”

However, the difficulties did not outweigh the amazing experiences they had.

“We had tons of crazy food,” Welch stated. Every day brought a new chance to try something new as the students ate chicken head, chicken foot, and even a dish of cooked guinea pig known as cuy.

One of the highlights of the trip was the Peruvian people awaiting them.

“Everyone’s very welcoming there,” senior Mikayla Neal shared.

They were kind and courteous despite their unfortunate circumstances. Senior Cassie Neal expressed her appreciation of their warmheartedness by stating, “They have nothing, but they give you everything that they have.”

Cuzco, Peru was also visited by senior Amy Liu. She went with a volunteer service group called Global Leadership Adventures that helps develop the leadership skills of students.

“We built greenhouses, we went to visit an orphanage, and we helped the locals,” Liu stated.

Senior Amanda Lee journeyed to Tonga, located in the South Pacific, through HEFY as well.

“We built a house there for a family; they currently didn’t have a house,” she mentions, “We laid the foundation and built the house from start to finish.”

Hanoi, Vietnam also had a visitor from Perry. Senior Cole Merrell spent the summer there, working at his uncle’s school and interning as an English teacher.

“There’s a lot of gifted kids over there who really want to come to school in America because there’s not a lot of opportunity over there,” Merrell explained.

Some students, such as senior Chandler Jensen and freshman Madi Gavin, traveled closer to home. Through an organization, Compton Initiative, the two of them and multiple other students visited Compton, California to help better the city.

“We helped repaint houses and scrape off the previous paint,” Jensen shares, “We just helped out in various ways in the community and tried to make life better for the citizens there.”

The overall experience was eye opening for the students, as they absorbed the customs of the locals and assisted them in every way they could.

Gavin mentions, “I’ve learned to never underestimate the power of my actions; it’s amazing how just painting a house can change someone’s life.”

When their work was complete, the students walked away with incredibly important lessons ingrained in their minds.

Lee expresses her enjoyment of her humanitarian adventure by stating, “This was my first time but I really hope it is not the last because it was an amazing experience.”