Fulton kindergarten teacher Whitney Eastwood turned a recent family vacation into an opportunity to continue making an impact on children.
While on a trip to Vietnam, Eastwood distributed school supplies donated by her colleagues at Bush Elementary.
"We had school necessities like crayons and pencils and then other items like toys and toothbrushes - just a wide variety of things," Eastwood said. "We went to a home school there, and also a school/orphanage, and there were also a lot of kids hanging out on the streets that we gave stuff to."
Eastwood and her mother, William Woods University professor Linda Davis, chose Vietnam as their destination because Eastwood's father - the late Roger Davis, former principal at Fulton High School - had served there during the war.
She said the decision to bring along the school supplies was prompted because as a teacher, "I already have an invested interest in helping children."
"We knew they were a little less fortunate, and just wanted to do something that would benefit the schools," Eastwood said.
As the schools were in session during their visit, she said she got a look into what a Vietnam classroom is like.
"It was pretty similar to ours. The kids were really well-behaved, and it seemed more structured," Eastwood said. "They are grouped by skill level and not age."
She said visiting the students was her favorite part of the trip.
"The best part was seeing the reaction from the kids - they were just very appreciative and excited," Eastwood said. "We talked about keeping in touch with the school/orphanage."
The trip was such a success, in fact, they plan to do it again.
"Mom and I talked about maybe doing it again in a different country because it was such a rewarding experience," Eastwood said. "It was a great experience - it definitely makes you appreciate what you have over here."