BROWNWOOD – November 3, 2026 – Members of Howard Payne University’s Department of Social Work recently took part in Mission Waco’s Poverty Simulation. This is HPU’s 15th year participating.
During the experience, participants had the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective and gain insight into the life of someone experiencing poverty. The group spent 43 hours facing the challenges and uncertainty of poverty, with nearly constant rain making the experience even more difficult.
According to its website, Mission Waco is a nonprofit organization built around three goals:
“Empower the poor and marginalized through Christian-based, holistic and relationship-centered programs. Equip and mobilize the middle-class to become more compassionately involved among the poor. Engage the systematic issues of social injustice which oppresses the poor and marginalized.”
The HPU group was led by Shantel Oplotnik, assistant professor of social work and director of the social work program. She was joined by students Ivan Flores, junior from McAllen; Faye Qaisar, junior from Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Yari Villagomez, junior from Brownwood.
Throughout the weekend, the students learned about widespread poverty, experienced a glimpse of what impoverished life looks like and worshipped and prayed with the Mission Waco team.
“Part of this simulation is the unknown,” Oplotnik said. “When someone is experiencing poverty or homelessness, they often don’t know where they will sleep, where their next meal will come from or what the next day will look like. That uncertainty is exactly what we want students to experience.”
Oplotnik first participated in the simulation in 2019 as a student at HPU. Since then, she has built on her love for the program by teaching students about the hardships of poverty and providing them the opportunity to experience it.
“I want students to leave with a better understanding of poverty and more compassion for others,” Oplotnik said. “One of the things that meant the most to me was watching them worship alongside people they might not normally go to church with. I hope they saw that church doesn’t have to look like what we’re used to for it to be something truly beautiful and holy.”
Mission Waco provides students the opportunity to better understand poverty and connect what they learn in class to real-life experiences.
“I teach about poverty in the classroom, but experiencing even a small part of it for 43 hours is something you never forget,” said Oplotnik. “I hope my students remember how they felt during those moments and carry that empathy and compassion with them as future social workers.”
Qaisar said that the weekend helped her realize how much she has to be grateful for.
“Mission Waco is highly rewarding because it helps you truly grasp the barriers that many people in our communities face,” said Qaisar. “It challenges you and pushes you to think past your own worldview.”
Qaisar said this experience will impact how she approaches social work, saying that it helped her learn the importance of serving others.
“It helped me realize that human connection comes before any professional title, and that every person I work with deserves to be treated with just as much dignity and respect as myself or anyone else,” Qaisar said. “This experience has also helped me grasp the importance of advocating for those who need it the most. Everyone deserves to be heard regardless of their background.”
For more information about HPU’s Department of Social Work, visit www.hputx.edu/socialwork.
ABOUT HOWARD PAYNE UNIVERSITY
Howard Payne University, founded in 1889, is a Christ-centered liberal arts university in Brownwood, Texas, dedicated to preparing students for lives of faith, leadership and service. With more than 100 majors, minors and pre-professional programs across six schools, serving three locations, HPU combines academic excellence with meaningful personal connection in a close-knit campus community.
Guided by its five core values — centered on Christ, focused on community, called to service, committed to excellence and dedicated to stewardship — Howard Payne prepares students through rigorous academic programs, vibrant student life, competitive athletics and service opportunities that equip graduates to make an impact in their communities and professions.