The 2018 Couriers officially ended their time of service at Frontier Nursing University with one final weekend of celebration and ceremony from August 8-11 in Hyden, Ky. The three Couriers served from June 18 to August 11, providing services to rural, underserved communities in Appalachia during their two-month tenure. Their final days consisted of the ceremonial “Courier Crossing,” as well as a graduation service and presentations of their individual experiences.
Although bittersweet about ending their eight weeks of service, Couriers James Rasmussen, Molly Craig and Dania Cervantes Ayala made several new memories to hold onto for a lifetime. During the Osborne Brothers’ Hometown Festival that was held the same weekend, they had one last opportunity to volunteer and serve at Frontier’s Wendover Bed & Breakfast and Retreat Center table, handing out informational brochures and promotional information on the B&B. The Couriers also felt the spirit of Appalachia come to life on the festival’s stage through the rousing Bluegrass music performances.
Couriers enjoy Appalachian Bluegrass at Osborne Brothers Festival
The regularly-scheduled Courier Crossing program continued with the Couriers’ graduation and traditional closing ceremonies. As in years past, each Courier walked across a local swinging bridge in Wendover to symbolize the crossing of their journey as a Courier.
A final Courier Crossing event was held at the Livery in the Wendover B&B. Each Courier gave a Powerpoint presentation, discussing their service and experiences as a 2018 Courier. The presentations truly reflected the passionate service and dedication this year’s Couriers had given to Appalachia! They can be watched here.
After the presentations, Frontier staff and Hyden community members sent the Couriers off with a community cookout.
The 2018 Couriers (l to r): James Rasmussen, Molly Craig, Dania Cervantes Ayala
The Courier Program and Frontier Nursing University would like to thank all community partners, advocates, and sponsors of the Courier Program. A special thanks goes to Breckinridge Capital Advisors for sponsoring this year’s Couriers and covering program fees, various travel expenses to service events in the Appalachian area and community project costs. Together, we are all serving Appalachia!
This has been yet another successful and service-filled summer of the FNU Courier Program. The program will begin recruiting for service learners interested in serving the Appalachian communities in the Hyden and surrounding areas in November 2018. If interested, please send all inquiries and questions to courier.program@frontier.edu!
In 1928, Mary Breckinridge, founder of Frontier Nursing University established the Courier Program, recruiting young people to come work in the Kentucky Mountains and learn about service to humanity. Couriers escorted guests safely through remote terrain, delivered medical supplies to remote outpost clinics, and helped nurse-midwives during home visits and births. Frontier has benefited tremendously from the 1,600 Couriers who have served since 1928.
Dr. Tia Brown McNair is the Vice President in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success and Executive Director for the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Centers at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC. She oversees both funded projects and AAC&U’s continuing programs on equity, inclusive excellence, high-impact practices, and student success. McNair directs AAC&U’s Summer Institutes on High-Impact Practices and Student Success, and TRHT Campus Centers and serves as the project director for several AAC&U initiatives, including the development of a TRHT-focused campus climate toolkit. She is the lead author of From Equity Talk to Equity Walk: Expanding Practitioner Knowledge for Racial Justice in Higher Education (January 2020) and Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success (July 2016 and August 2022 Second edition).