Beyond the Classroom: How Fall Break Shaped DBU Students Through Faith, Learning, and Service

Filling their fall break with mission work, worship songwriting, and connecting their academics to real-world experiences, Dallas Baptist University students traveled to various sites in the United States and around the world, developing new perspectives on faith, learning, and service.

Dominican Republic

Going beyond the track, the DBU Track and Field teams traveled to the Dominican Republic under Associate Head Coach Andrew Price, where they spent a week serving and spreading the love of Christ with others. Coach Price described the week as "a life-changing experience" and shared how many of the student-athletes' favorite moments were handing out hygiene kits, praying with families, and serving at-risk youth in the area through ministry organizations.

"Their eyes were opened to see that the God they try to follow here in the States is bigger and greater than they previously imagined and we definitely felt His presence moving all around us," shared Coach Price. He hopes the trip will have a lasting impact on the students' lives and that they will continue to recognize God's presence at work as they return to University Hill.

Seattle, Washington

Taking a team of 12 students to Seattle, Washington, for the first time, DBU's Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) served alongside Northwest Collegiate Ministries (NCM) to share the hope of Jesus with students across 11 college campuses. As the students in Seattle were returning to campus for the fall semester, the group of Patriots arrived at an ideal time to begin Gospel conversations at schools with no Christian ministry presence beyond what NCM had begun within the past few years.

Beginning spiritual conversations with those who were eager to hear more, the BSM students got to invite numerous Seattle students into a Christian community on their own campus. "God is moving in Seattle, and we are so grateful that we got to be co-laborers with Him in what He is doing," shared DBU student Kailyn King. DBU's BSM Director Ryan Hodges shared, "My hope is that one or more of our BSM students will feel called to serve in collegiate ministry in this area." He hopes that others will continue to pray for the students they encountered during the trip, and that as the Patriots return to campus, that they will be as bold in sharing the Gospel within their own friend groups and community as they are with strangers in Seattle.

Tennessee

Making their way to Nashville, Tennessee, DBU's Worship Studies graduate students participated in a Nashville Songwriting Boot Camp for a Worship Songwriting course. Led by Dr. Jon Choi, DBU's Director of the M.A. in Worship Studies Program, the trip allowed Patriots to gain songwriting experience and opportunities to learn from professional songwriters in the worship music industry.

Reflecting on the week, Dr. Choi shared students' perspectives on how the trip shaped their understanding of worship and songwriting. "It was such a valuable experience to learn and get hands-on experience with worship songwriting and build community with others who share the same joy of creating music for Him," one graduate student said. Another Patriot expressed, "It opened my eyes to how powerful music can be, and now I'm focused on writing songs that truly help our church family connect with God."

C.S. Lewis Trip

Offering a philosophy class for the first time in the history of the Global Studies Program, students had the opportunity to travel throughout Ireland and England to explore the places C.S. Lewis would have gone to as he wrote many of his popular sermons and novels. The Patriots also got to hear more about C.S. Lewis from people like Dr. Max Baker-Hytch, who is a tutorial fellow at Wycliffe Hall, one of the colleges at the University of Oxford.

As the group continued their trip led by Professor of Philosophy Dr. Travis Dickinson and Director of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) Program Dr. Robert Loftin, they toured The Kilns, where C.S. Lewis lived and wrote his literary works, and explored the town of Oxford, where they visited sites like the Bodleian Library and the Sheldonian Theatre, where Lewis graduated from the University of Oxford.

New York

Walking through the streets of New York City, students gained real-world experience as they connected classroom concepts of management, art, and investing and finance to the professional world. Assistant Professor of Management and Management Department Chair Dr. H. Rick Jordan, Professor of Finance and Finance Department Chair Dr. Sergiy Saydometov, and Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Communication and Art Jim Hutchinson took the group of 22 students to participate in a Wall Street Insider Tour, where they experienced the ringing of the bell, and later met with business professionals at Moody's Corporation, a global financial services and risk assessment company.

Continuing their visit through New York, the students visited sites like MetLife Stadium, the New York Stock Exchange, Madison Square Garden, and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Student Charlotte Russell shared one experience with their guide at the New York Stock Exchange that encouraged her as she pursues a career in finance. "Many people, including myself at times, believe that in order to be successful in the finance world, you have to compromise your values and integrity," she said. "Our guide encouraged us to run our own race focused on Christ, not distracted by the people around us. We should be faithful with whatever opportunities the Lord puts in front of us and know that the outcome belongs to Him."

Business of Coffee

Exploring the coffee industry and the business behind coffee production, students from DBU's Don and Linda Carter School of Business traveled with Professor of Entrepreneurship and Chair of the Entrepreneurship Department Dr. Ross O'Brien and Assistant Professor of Marketing and Marketing Department Chair Sandra Crawford Williamson to Kona, Hawaii. Students toured local coffee farms like Heavenly Hawaiian, Uluwehi Coffee Farm, and Kona Coffee Living History Farm, where they learned how coffee farms operate, participated in a brew class, and learned about the behind-the-scenes process with workers and directors.

Professor Williamson reflected on getting to watch students learn through hands-on experience, saying, "There's something transformational about putting them in the middle of a working coffee farm, where they can see, touch, experience, and question every part of the business. They were not just learning about the Kona coffee industry—they were walking the farms, harvesting coffee cherries, learning about roasting and production, and hearing directly from the entrepreneurs who have built these businesses."

While the Patriots may have stepped back into the everyday routine of school, each experience and memory created will remain with them throughout their time on University Hill and well beyond graduation.