Major: Biological Sciences
When Carolina signed up for the Global Experiences' Peace Corps Prep program, she hadn’t considered the possibility of actually joining the Peace Corps. At the time, she was just looking for a way to study abroad and pursue her dual interests of public health and Spanish language.
“I decided that I wanted to do a study abroad early on in my college career,” Carolina said. “I learned about the Peace Corps Prep program and that they would give me a scholarship to study abroad if I joined the program.”
Through the program, Carolina got the opportunity to study cell biology in Murcia, Spain, igniting a passion for international experiences and public health that seeded the idea of joining the Peace Corps after graduation.
“I got more and more interested in pursuing public health and realized that I was already set up for success to apply to the Peace Corps," she said. "The prep program helps you with your resume, interviews and essays during the application process.”
Carolina was still in Spain when she learned she’d been accepted to join the Peace Corps in Panama for two years, where she’ll serve as a youth health facilitator focusing on sexual health education among young people.
“I’m super excited," she said. "Public health is something I’m really passionate about, particularly when it comes to working with young people.”
Carolina credits her professors at UNL, particularly the encouragement she found in the Spanish department, for preparing her for the challenges and opportunities she’s earned across the globe in the last year.
“The Spanish department here is just so awesome," she said. "They really got me to love the language enough to want to immerse myself fully in it.”
As she prepares to bid farewell to campus, Carolina is filled with gratitude for the experiences and support she found at UNL.
“I’ll miss everything about this campus and community,” she said. “In every single class I took I found people who wanted to work together and help each other out. I feel lucky to have had these experiences.”
