UPPER BURRELL, Pa. -- When they could be unwinding after a week of midterm exams, 10 New Kensington students are spending spring break in Puerto Rico for a hybrid community service project that combines helping environmental efforts and underserved communities.
Two staff members, Lauren Blum, assistant to the director of student affairs, and Elaine Zarichnak, campus nurse, accompanied the students to the United States’ territory.
Erin Bruce, Kelcey Harris, Zach Hudak, Christian Kamenic, Kristen Kopacko, Annie Ley, Brittany Miller, Sandra Muhhuku, Will Nichols and Aubrey Simpson are performing a variety of functions, including rehabilitating a mangrove and assisting with literacy initiatives throughout San Juan, the commonwealth’s capital.
The eight-day goodwill journey includes sightseeing around San Juan and leisure time at beaches, rainforests and festivals. The students left the states March 7 and will return March 14.
Campus Connections to Puerto Rico
The New Kensington campus has a connection with Puerto Rico. Danielle DeStefano, assistant director of enrollment, visited high schools throughout the island in cities such as San Juan, Ponce, Myaguez, Caguas, Carolina and Bayamon.
“Penn State is quite popular and very well known in Puerto Rico, so the name itself is a big draw,” said DeStefano, who joined the admissions staff in 2008. “When students and families hear that a degree at New Kensington is the same as the degree at University Park, they get even more interested in our campus.”
Another draw for the campus is the funding opportunities available to students. Campus scholarships are awarded to eligible students on the basis of academic promise, leadership qualities, community service and financial need. In 2014, new and returning students at the New Kensington campus earned a total of $538,000 in scholarship money, $304,000 from private donors and $234,000 from the University. The campus has 54 scholarship endowments, annual gifts and program awards that funded 225 students with an average award of $2,400 per student.
“Because they are considered U.S. citizens, Puerto Rican students are classified as out-of-state students and can receive financial aid,” said DeStefano. “This makes the cost of tuition much more affordable to them than an international student.”
For more on campus admissions, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Admissions/default.htm