BW Voices: Finding the human side of computing in Guatemala

Software engineering professor Dr. Rachelle Hippler unpacks the "life-changing" impact of a Baldwin Wallace University computer science service project that takes students to Guatemala.

Study abroad programs that focus on computing are rare. Nationally, less than 3% of students who study abroad are computer science majors. Because computing graduates often work on international teams performing user experience research and software development, they need exposure to other cultures.

That's why I helped establish a multi-year, multi-phase international capstone project for Baldwin Wallace University software engineering students. Since 2019, we have worked to develop, deploy and maintain a custom medical records software system in collaboration with Mission Guatemala, a nonprofit dedicated to helping underserved and impoverished Guatemalan communities through health, education and nutrition initiatives.

Discovering Beauty in a 'World of Differences'

Every other year, a BW student-faculty team travels to Guatemala to work with the Mission Guatemala medical staff to provide training and gather new software requirements. Those site visits are life-changing for students. They have been for me, too.

I'll never forget my first trip to explore the partnership. It was daunting. I was supposed to travel with another person, but they canceled at the last minute, leaving me to go alone or miss the opportunity. Growing up in Brook Park in a single-parent family, vacations usually meant camping nearby. So, traveling abroad — never mind traveling alone — was unfathomable. 

I pushed myself to go. And I am so glad I did!

Guatemala is a beautiful country, and the Mayan people are kind and welcoming. Over the years, Mission Guatemala has given me more than I have given it. 

I take my role seriously as an ambassador for my profession, university and country. More importantly, I am now an ambassador for Mission Guatemala and the Mayan people back home. There's only so much you can learn about people from books or the internet. You must go there, sit with them; listen, pray, work and laugh with them, to truly understand the beauty in our world of differences.

Uniquely powerful experience

For BW students, service learning combined with study abroad creates a uniquely powerful experience. Here's why this combination is so effective:

• Authentic Context - When students develop software for Mission Guatemala while immersed in the local environment, they're not just coding in a classroom — they're seeing firsthand how their work impacts real people and communities. That gives immediate meaning to their technical skills.
  
  
• Cultural Competency - Working directly with Guatemalan partners requires students to navigate cultural differences, communication styles and technological infrastructures. This builds genuine cultural competency and prepares students for a globalized workforce.
  
  
• Problem-Solving Skills - International service learning presents complex, real-world challenges that don't have predetermined solutions. Students must adapt their technical approach to local constraints, resources and needs. This develops critical thinking and adaptability that classroom projects rarely achieve.
  
  
• Deeper Global Understanding - Working on-site at the medical clinic, students gain nuanced understanding of how technology intersects with economic development, education access and social justice issues.
  
  
• Connection and Accountability- Unlike study abroad programs that may be detached from local communities, BW's Guatemalan service learning created genuine partnership with and accountability to the local medical clinic staff.
  
  
• Personal Growth and Perspective- The combination of building software in the classroom and cultural immersion during study abroad catalyzes significant personal development. Students frequently report increased confidence, empathy and sense of purpose.

The BW Computing in Guatemala program produces graduates who are not only technically skilled but also culturally competent, globally minded and committed to using their abilities for positive impact — exactly what employers and graduate programs are seeking.

About the author

Dr. Rachelle Kristof Hippler is the program director for software engineering at Baldwin Wallace University.  Her experience spans K-12 education, higher education and the tech industry, providing a rich backdrop for her leadership in software engineering education and applied undergraduate research. She is also director of BW's User Experience (UX) Research Lab.

This column first appeared on cleveland.com and in the SUN Newspapers.