That question led him to join forces with nonprofit organizations Volunteer World and International Volunteer to help build and renovate schools in some of the most underserved regions of Central and South America.
Will connected with these organizations through conversations with fellow volunteers he met during previous work with Feed My Starving Children. With their guidance, he was placed at three different school sites—each one a unique project aimed at improving education for local children.
Across those three locations, Will and his team helped construct and renovate schools that now serve approximately 350 students, ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade. These schools were often built on existing foundations, with the surrounding communities pitching in wherever possible—offering water, food, and building materials to support the effort.
“Having the students there, watching and even helping with the changes—that was a direct impact,” Will shared. “It made everything we were doing feel more meaningful.”
Despite the well-organized nature of the projects, Will described the physical demands of the work—remote landscapes, coastal heat, and unpredictable weather—as challenging. Getting to and from each site took up to 1.5 hours daily, with two full days spent at each school.
Yet, the long days were more than worth it. In a heartfelt moment, students in grades 3 through 6 performed a thank-you song and dance on the final day. It was a powerful send-off that left Will feeling emotional.
“There were moments I felt guilty, like I was getting more out of the experience than I was giving, especially when it was time to leave” he admitted. But a fellow volunteer reminded him of the bigger picture— “The goal is for people to keep coming, to keep building.”
Inspired by the people he met and the transformations he witnessed, Will says he would absolutely do it again. He’s now looking ahead to future volunteer opportunities, with hopes of traveling to Haiti or Africa—this time possibly with his sister, a nurse, by his side.
“We all have something to give. This is all glory to God as he has blessed me in countless ways and made me who I am today,” says Will. “If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday,” he quotes Isaiah 58:10.
