Oakton employee, alumnus lead mission trip to Haiti
(June 21, 2016) Oakton Community College Training Specialist Cynthia Townsend of Chicago and recent graduate Lance Lindsay (Des Plaines, Maine West High School) are part of an eight-person Haiti Youth Project humanitarian trip to Gonaïves, Haiti, June 18-24. Townsend, the group leader, and Lindsay are overseeing a three-day arts conference with the goal of helping educators engage students in the arts for years to come.
“Our goal is to help the schools use the art programming to develop a revenue stream so that they may maintain the program in the future,” Townsend explained. “Our ultimate objective is twofold, to establish arts programming and to eventually get closer to being able to build an orphanage in Gonaïves.”
As part of the project, Haitian and American youth will collaborate to teach music, drama, art, and dance to Haitian students at the Eden School in Gonaïves, two hours north of the capital of Port-au-Prince.
Townsend, who is making her eighth trip, said the needs of Haitian orphans is obvious.
“Just at the Eden School, there are about 40-50 orphans. Many stay with teachers, or even the directors, and that’s why the orphanage is a much-needed facility,” she said.
Being an orphan herself is what drives Townsend to organize the annual mission trips to Haiti, which she began in 2009.
“When I was young, I didn’t have anyone in my life guiding me,” she said. “I want to make an impact so that both the American and Haitian youth know that they can use their artistic talents to benefit not only themselves but to help others.”
Lindsay, who is making his first trip to Haiti, said, “I want to influence others in a positive way and spread happiness and hope. I want to inspire Haitians even if it’s just interacting with someone for a day or moment.”
While at Oakton, Lindsay served as chair for the College Program Board, secretary of the Student Government Association and president of the Black Student Union. He also was an active member of Oakton’s Honors Student Organization, the Students for Social Justice Club and the French Club. His knowledge of French will come in handy in Haiti, where French and Creole are the two major languages spoken. His leadership experience and ability to connect with others will also help him.
In May, Lindsay earned his associate degree from Oakton. At Oakton’s Student Government Association Leadership Banquet in April, he was the recipient of the Outstanding Contributions to Student Life and Board of Trustees Outstanding Leadership awards. Under his leadership, the Black Student Union was named Club of the Year. He also accepted the Event of the Year award on behalf of Students for Social Justice for the Ban the Water Bottle Project, which involved a campaign to prohibit the sale of single-use plastic liquid containers on campus.
Lindsay will be attending DePaul University in the fall, where he plans to study political science. His goal is to someday work in government in a capacity that allows him to help make reforms that improve people’s quality of life—much like his goal for this trip to Haiti.
“My expectation is to make children happy and leave them smiling,” he said.
