
Alyssa Brown, a first-year student studying accounting and finance at Penn State Berks, joined other University students from the Berks and Abington campuses on a service trip to Puerto Rico. The students volunteered at two different farms, one at which they planted kidney beans and the other at which they learned about the history of coffee beans in the region; learned about the island’s history and immersed themselves in its culture; and assisted at a nonprofit animal shelter and volunteered as Flight Angels to bring 10 adopted dogs — which have an overpopulation in Puerto Rico — to the United States. “To experience Puerto Rico through the intentionally chosen rhythms of local life was heart-awakening. Every moment — every meal, every smile, every act of care — felt purposeful," Brown said. "In the States, some days the only smile I see is the one I give myself in the mirror before leaving the house. But in Puerto Rico, I never once felt that loneliness. The culture breathes togetherness. Strangers greet you like family. Love is loud and ever-present.” Read more about the trip on Penn State News.