OU Students Take on Habitat Challenge: Sooners Without Borders Constructs Ramp, More in Iowa

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In early January, six students from Sooners Without Borders at the University of Oklahoma headed to Des Moines, Iowa, teaming up with Habitat for Humanity. Their goal: construct an accessibility ramp for a local family. Their mission was part of Habitat’s Collegiate Challenge program, providing year-round volunteer opportunities for college students.

The students, all from the Gallogly College of Engineering at OU, embraced the challenge. Formerly Engineers Without Borders, Sooners Without Borders had changed its name to be more inclusive of all majors at OU, says Lisa Morales, the group's staff adviser.

“A lot of projects used to focus on clean water and students had the opportunity to travel abroad. Once Covid happened, we had to shift the focus of Sooner Without Borders,” Morales said. 

In Des Moines, the project expanded beyond the ramp, involving tasks like installing kitchen cabinets and flooring for a new home. Morales says she was impressed with the student’s adeptness with power and carpentry tools, noting they were under the supervision of a construction professional.

The student’s home during the project was a private school, where sleeping bags and locker rooms became temporary accommodations, kicking off each workday at 7:15 a.m.

Morales says that a hurdle for the team was the unpredictable weather, starting with snow in Kansas City that persisted throughout their trip. Facing 5-8 inches of snow on the ground in Des Moines, the team’s trip was cut short.

Olivia Mitchell, an environmental engineering major of Moore, Oklahoma, serves as the group’s president. She notes that the team worked in three divisions of Habitat: Habitat ReStores, New Home Construction and Home Preservation. 

Other students taking part in the Habitat initiative were Jaylon Gadson, mechanical engineering, Steens, Mississippi; Barry Fongsamootr, mechanical engineering, Chiang Mai, Thailand; Victoria Gilfillan, environmental science, Bethany, Oklahoma; Tre Hanes, mechanical engineering, Waxahachie, Texas; and Kaia Ruden, mechanical engineering, Shakopee, Minnesota.

“All these students were an amazing group to serve with – positive, optimistic, working hard despite cold temperatures,” Morales said.

SWB Instagram here.

 


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