Clarkston graduate Nicolas M. Hedtler is preparing for a life of helping people, starting with those most in need of it.
He helped out at Camp Hope, a bereavement camp for children near Frankenmuth, this past summer.
“I lost a good friend in March,” said Hedtler , 21, son of Deborah and William Walters. “I was upset, but these kids lost a parent. I can’t imagine what that’s like. I wanted to be there to help.”
It was an amazing experience, he said.
“I didn’t expect the children to be as open as they were,” he said. “They shared stories and experiences about their parent or grandparent, cried with you ? it was an extraordinary experience.”
This May, the 2006 Clarkston High School graduate travels to Cambodia for a two-and-a-half week Study Abroad trip, led by Maureen Tippen, nursing professor at University of Michigan-Flint.
“The trip correlates with my profession,” said Hedtler, a first-year nursing student at UM-Flint, working fulltime at McLaren Regional Medical Center in Flint. “We’ll talk to parents and children, perform health checks and assessments, treat wounds.”
The trip with the non-profit International Academic Service Learning group costs almost $2,000 plus airfare, which means he could use some help. To donate or for more information, call him at 248-770-8747 or email nhedtler@yahoo.
He plans to donate any extra funds to Cambodian orphanages.
“A dollar is tremendous there,” he said. “I plan to make the most of the trip. It’s something I won’t have too many opportunities to do.”
This will be his first trip overseas.
“I’m excited,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s for a good cause ? something I’m passionate about.”
For more information on the program, go to www.umflint.edu and click on International Center, Study Abroad programs.