LOCAL

Local nursing instructor to help Haitians on grant-assisted trip

Bethany Bruner
Newark Advocate

NEWARK - As Megan Hendershot prepared for a Friday afternoon meeting at Central Ohio Technical College, she had no idea she would soon be preparing to travel to the Caribbean.

Hendershot, an Assistant Professor who teaches in the LPN and LPN to RN transition program at COTC, was awarded a grant by the Licking County Foundation Friday to travel to Haiti.

Megan Hendershot, right, embraces Connie Hawk of the Licking County Foundation after being awarded a Tibbie Leslie Travel Grant. Hendershot will be traveling to Haiti in October.

The Tibbie Leslie travel grants enable educators to travel the world in an effort to share and expand their knowledge in their field. 

Hendershot applied to travel to Haiti because she wanted an opportunity to travel and use her nursing skills but had not been able to do so due to financial concerns.

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"I wanted to go and be safe," she said. "This is the perfect fit."

Hendershot will be traveling with the Nurse Tim program to Haiti for nine days in October, using her knowledge to teach other students and professors at a Haitian nursing school and assist at a local hospital. The group will also be going to orphanages and helping to care for people throughout the country.

"Haiti is still considered third world, but they are really trying to push education," Hendershot said. "It's how we would have been 60 to 70 years ago." 

Hendershot was one of four local teachers who were awarded grants this week. 

Licking Heights High School teacher Sean McCullough was awarded a grant earlier this week to travel to Slovenia and Greece. 

Melinda Talbott, a teacher at Liberty Middle School, and Lauren Clark, a teacher at Newark High School, also received grants Friday.

Talbott, a 6th grade character education, 7th grade health and 8th grade academic assist teacher, will be traveling to Germany to learn about cultural differences in metropolitan areas and see how communities and schools thrive in those environments.

Clark, a government teacher, will be traveling to the United Kingdom to learn more about how various forms of government function in an effort to impart that knowledge to her students who may not be able to study abroad.

The Tibbie Leslie Travel Grant program is in its 19th year and has provided more than $175,000 in grants to more than 90 area educators in that time.