Rev. Mehr-Muska Leads Students on Interfaith Service Trip

Nine Wesleyan students and one student from Yale Divinity school participated in an interfaith service trip March 19-24 in northern New Jersey. Wesleyan Chaplain Rev. Tracy Mehr-Muska coordinated the trip.

The group stayed at a camp, and also worked at the camp while in New Jersey. In addition, they served meals at a soup kitchen, volunteered at a community thrift shop, and helped out at a farm sanctuary for unwanted/rescued farm animals. They also visited Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty and discussed immigration, refugee rights and religious freedom.

The students visited and had in-depth discussions with members of the Jewish, Sikh and Muslim communities and learned about their spiritual practices, their worship, holy scriptures and their struggles.

“We had some incredible discussions, and it was an amazingly rich time of community building, self-reflection, and spiritual growth,” Mehr-Muska said. “The students were well-loved by all of the people we met; they were incredibly hard-working, gracious, open, and kind, and were phenomenal representatives of Wesleyan.”

The students included Taylor McClain ’17, Maya Dorn ’19, graduate liberal studies student Lexi Thompson, Sam Medrano ’19, Carlos Eguiluz Rosas ’19, Betty Bekele ’19, Eunice Lee ’19, Kati Young ’19 and Arielle Ashley ’19. The intern from Yale Div is Jenny Peek.