Although the students haven’t been selected, TCU Panhellenic will be traveling to Nepal to help build a school next January.

Every two years, Panhellenic joins with the Circle of Sisterhood Foundation to work in underdeveloped communities. Next year, 16 sorority women will live with host families in Kathmandu, Nepal, while building the school.

Sarah Sullivan, TCU Vice President of Service and Philanthropy for the Panhellenic Executive Board, said she is excited to share her passion for education with the people of Nepal.

“I’m hoping that it really just gives them hope for a future,” Sullivan said. “I hope that they’ll utilize what we’re giving and be able to get the most out of it so that it will help them strive for bigger and better things.”

Nepal will be TCU Panhellenic’s second trek. Previously, a group of women traveled to Nicaragua in 2016.

Meredith Kuykendall, a junior political science major, went on the trek to Nicaragua her freshman year after hearing about the trip through Greek Life.

Kuykendall said she was grateful for the opportunity to be involved despite the hard work because of the impact of the group’s efforts. 

“Usually, we would get straight to work–  shoveling, carrying bricks, laying foundation, walking up and down a really steep incline,” Kuykendall said. “It was a lot of heavy work, so by lunchtime, you were drenched.”

The Circle of Sisterhood Foundation, started by Ginny Carroll, is an organization designed to remove the barriers to education and promote the significance of education in young girls.

Circle of Sisterhood is teaming up with Build On, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building schools in developing countries, to supply the women with the necessary supplies and resources to build the school. 

Other preparations include vaccines for the participants and a semester of various training to help the women understand the cultures of Nepal, Sullivan said.

TCU Panhellenic is working to fund the cost of supplies for the school as well as food and flights for each of the participants.

In an effort to raise funds and awareness for the upcoming trek, TCU Panhellenic is hosting a “Circle of Sisterhood Week” April 9-13. The week consists of fundraising opportunities such as a profit share event Wednesday and the Spring Fair Friday.