Huntley student joins medical mission to Nicaragua

Tiffany Burton of Huntley, Ill., was among a group of Carthage College students who traveled to Nicaragua in January on a medical mission.

The students shadow physicians and care for patients at several clinics on the island of Ometepe. Biology professor Patrick Pfaffle and geography and earth science professor Matthew Zorn lead the study tour twice each year.

Another group now works on water purification efforts. Many patients in the clinics had been diagnosed with water-borne illnesses, prompting the push for clean drinking water.

Carthage students are housed at a newly established field station outside Altagracia. In January, they set up a weather station and installed solar panels on the site.

Established in 1847, Carthage is a college of the liberal arts and sciences in Kenosha, Wis. It ranks No. 6 among baccalaureate institutions nationwide for student participation in short-term study abroad, according to the Institute of International Education.