Otter of the Issue:

A Student with a Mission

Claire Crosbie, Staff Reporter

claire_crosbie@csumb.edu

Feb.28, 2008

At California State University Monterey

Bay (CSUMB), some students have

tremendous accomplishments and amazing

goals. Among these students is Derek Tekus,

a senior majoring in Teledramatic Arts and

Technology. What makes him stand out in

a swarm of students is his willingness to

help others no matter where he is needed

in the world.

Derek has been involved in missionary

work since he was a freshman in high

school. He has traveled many times to

Mexico with his church to help build houses.

After Hurricane Katrina, he traveled to New

Orleans to help clean out houses, rebuild,

dry wall, paint, and most importantly, listen

to their stories and show that there are

people that care and love them.

Beginning Mar. 14, Tekus will be in

Uganda, located in East Africa, helping

children from ages six to nine who were

abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army

during the eighteen-year war. These children

were forced to become soldiers, laborers

and sexual slaves. They were beaten, forced

to carry out raids, burn houses, beat or kill

civilians and abduct other children. The

traumatized children of Uganda now live in

refugee camps seeking safety and love.

Tekus will be serving through Care Corps

International, an organization committed

to providing training in child trauma

counseling. He will be a part of this training

and will help those unfortunate children by

providing counsel and support through art,

music and games.

In order for him to do this, however,

he had to raise over $3,000 to purchase a

plane ticket, receive immunization shots

and other preparations. The money has been

raised with the help of family, friends and

the idea of holding a recycling party.

“Also, the biggest help has been the

donations from random people who have

been touched by stories I have told them

and the passion they see in the people

going. Which is the most beautiful thing,”

said Tekus.

From his mission trip to Uganda, Tekus

said he wants to come out of the experience

with “a true look on the world and the

ability to educate people on the situation

and struggle.” He will be joined on this

trip with two other CSUMB students, Katie

Brink and Madeline Oneill.