Donor support helps Auburn students serve abroad

For Marilyn Bulloch, an assistant clinical professor in Auburn’s Harrison College of Pharmacy, joining a medical outreach trip had long been a bucket-list dream. In 2026, that dream became a reality through a service-learning program led by Auburn Outreach Global.

“No amount of planning could have prepared me for the experience — in the simplest statement, it was one of the most impactful things that I have ever done,” Bulloch said.

Through Outreach Global, 22 students, faculty, staff and community members traveled to Ghana for two weeks of service-learning and cultural immersion. Thanks in part to philanthropic support from nonprofit partners, faculty and students from a range of disciplines partnered with local governments to operate free health clinics in urban and rural communities.

Service + learning

At the health clinics, team members performed wellness checks, provided prescription drug counseling and distributed urgently needed supplies, including hygiene products, diapers and over-the-counter medications, while doctoral students from the College of Education taught lessons in nearby schools.

For many participants, the work revealed both the strengths and challenges of Ghana’s education and healthcare systems, particularly in communities where basic resources can be scarce. Through conversations with local residents and hands-on service in the clinics and schools, they also saw familiar issues reflected across continents, drawing meaningful connections between rural Ghana and rural Alabama.

After five intensive days of health and education-focused service-learning, participants explored Ghana’s culture, history and natural beauty. They climbed Mount Afadjato, the country’s tallest mountain, hiked to nearby waterfalls, visited historical sites and museums and experienced Ghanaian culture firsthand.

Bulloch said the impact of the service-learning experience exceeded anything she had imagined.

“The clinics left an impression that will follow me for the rest of my life,” she said. “The need for healthcare was so high that people were willing to wait all day for our clinic and were among the most grateful I have ever met. Each day, I left with equal measure feeling fulfilled and wishing I could have done more.”

For Caroline Shull, a student in the Harbert College of Business, one of the most memorable moments came when the group distributed books to local children. As they gathered in a circle and flipped through the pages, one young girl accepted Shull’s offer to read to her.

“The rest of the kids had stopped reading their own books and listened in,” she said. “When I finished the first book, I was handed the next book, and this happened until I had read them six books. I will forever remember those sweet kids.”

On to Panama and back to Ghana

Now, Outreach Global is planning a nine-day service-learning trip to Panama during Auburn’s 2027 spring break. The trip will focus on water management, with participants working alongside environmental, water resource, water quality, agriculture and land management organizations. A collaboration with the College of Sciences and Mathematics, the Panama service-learning program is open to all majors and will combine service-learning activities with guided visits to national sites and monuments, including the Panama Canal.

And shortly after that, faculty, staff and students will head back to Ghana for another two weeks of experiential learning, cultural exploration and health- and education-based service.

The Outreach Global staff is hoping the support of the Auburn Family will ensure that every student who wants to participate can go on these trips. While the fees to attend are lower than traditional study abroad programs, extra expenses like airfare, vaccinations and visas can place the experience out of reach for some students.

“We typically have between five and 10 students who want to go but cannot attend without financial support, and we have to turn them down,” said Olivia Houlden, Outreach Global administrator. “Because of donor generosity, our students were able to serve others while taking part in an incredible learning experience in Ghana, and we hope the Auburn Family will help open that same opportunity to even more students in the future.”