For Olivia McAtee, one 18-day trip made all the difference.
After graduating from Wartburg with a degree in psychology and sociology, McAtee was invited to serve as a chaperone on the college’s first May Term travel course to Rwanda in 2023. The itinerary included a visit to Groupe Scolaire Bare, a school that provides education to more than 1,500 students, situated 10 miles from the nearest large town in the Eastern Province.
As part of the visit, McAtee learned that some students would not be able to return the following year because they could not pay for school lunches — a cost of $60 for three trimesters.
“After returning to Iowa, Olivia continued to ask how she could remain involved,” wrote Jean Bikomeye, one of McAtee’s nominators and a fellow chaperone on the Rwanda trip. “That call to serve became action.”
McAtee worked with her congregation at Stuart-Mount Vernon United Methodist on a fundraising drive to cover the cost of meals for students in need at GS Bare. The initial effort raised $6,000, which provided a full year of meals for more than 100 children.
Due to that success, the community at GS Bare established the Karimbu Rwanda Community Center to coordinate additional partnerships. The school lunch program has become an ongoing effort, with more than 80,000 meals provided over the last three years.
News reports about the lunch program include words of thanks, like these from Mukangarambe Claudine, a mother of three: “These projects have truly changed my children’s lives. I used to struggle to pay for school meals, but now that burden has been lifted. I’ve also seen a real improvement in my children’s academic performance thanks to the feeding program.”
“Olivia has created something unique in my village,” wrote Bikomeye.
For her hands-on leadership of vital mission work, the Wartburg College Alumni Board is pleased to present a 2026 Young Alumni Award to Olivia McAtee ’19.
Des Moines, Iowa
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