Student Alessia Eckelaert Made the Most of Her Spring Break

After speaking to others in Viterbo campus ministry about the service immersion trip to Casa Hogar in Peru, Viterbo student Alessia Eckelaert thought it would be great opportunity for her to get out in the world and do some good.

“It turned out even better than I’d hoped,” said Eckelaert, a senior nutrition and dietetics major from Sheboygan. “I went with a fantastic group and everyone we met was so service orientated and wanted to make life better for the kids at Casa Hogar. Getting to be a part of that was truly very special.”

Eckelaert’s favorite part of the trip was walking the stations of the cross up the hill to the grave of Fr. Joe Walijewski, who founded Casa Hogar in 1986.

Viterbo Student Alessia Eckelaert at Casa Hogar in Peru

“We went up just as the sun was setting, holding the kids’ hands and praying the rosary,” Eckelaert said. “It was such a beautiful moment.”

Eckelaert wanted to attend a Catholic college, and found everything she was looking for at Viterbo, including small class sizes and a close community.

“There are so many opportunities for campus involvement at Viterbo if you lean into it,” she said.

For Eckelaert, that involvement includes campus ministry events like Table of Plenty and Morning MUG, the Student Dietetics Association, and serving as a resident assistant in Clare Apartments and as a student ambassador tour guide. She also participated in the university’s study abroad trip to South Africa. Off campus, Eckelart works at Oh Oh Coffee in La Crosse and enjoys hiking the Hixon Trails and attending sporting events.

Eckelaert will graduate from Viterbo in May and begin the required master’s degree program (one-year at Viterbo) and 1,000 hours of supervised practice required to become a registered dietitian.

“I’m very excited that I’ll be fulfilling those hours through an internship with the University of Wisconsin Badgers football team,” said Eckelaert, who would eventually like to work in sports or oncology nutrition.

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