Senior Spotlight: Sydney Hultsch Answers the Call to Serve in Malawi
When Providence Catholic senior Sydney Hultsch first heard about a summer mission trip to Malawi during a church event, something just clicked.
“I wanted to go because I had been wanting to do a mission trip for a while,” Sydney said. “But the timing never worked out and just didn’t feel right yet. Then, my mom and I were being talked to about looking into it, and we both decided – let’s do it.”
“I wanted to go because I had been wanting to do a mission trip for a while,” Sydney said. “But the timing never worked out and just didn’t feel right yet. Then, my mom and I were being talked to about looking into it, and we both decided – let’s do it.”
Driven by a desire to serve and inspired by the mission-centered values instilled at Providence, Sydney joined the team. Once in Malawi this summer, the group immediately got to work.
They began by installing a clean water tank for a village, a project that created 12 separate access points for community members. Next came two full days of medical clinics, where Sydney worked in the pharmacy and spent time playing with local children.
“We met with different chiefs and had a big celebration with the huge village once the water project finished,” she said. “With the medical clinics, over 1,300 people were served!”
The trip wasn’t just about service – it was about transformation.
“My favorite part of the trip was being able to find a new part of myself, do something way out of my comfort zone, and be able to make a difference in so many lives,” Sydney shared. “And to see how beyond grateful, happy, and loving everyone we met was every day.”
The experience left a lasting impression, teaching Sydney valuable lessons in gratitude and perspective.
“It taught me to be grateful for all the things we have here that we don’t always think about – and to pay more attention to the world around us. It taught me that even though not everyone is as fortunate, they look at life with smiles and gratefulness every day without ever complaining.”
Looking back, Sydney says her time at Providence Catholic helped prepare her for this journey – both practically and spiritually.
“I felt my Provi education made a big difference in being able to live out the Augustinian values of truth, unity, and love,” she reflected. “Being honest with myself and stepping out of my comfort zone, being in community with so many others and bringing people together, playing with the kids and learning so much about the culture, and giving care and help to so many people and working to better their lives.”
She added, “And as Father Rich would tell me, being comfortable with the uncomfortable – because that’s when you tend to see life in a different perspective.”