University of Richmond student spends summer volunteering in Peru
December 2, 2008
University of Richmond junior Karen Debonis of Caldwell, N.J., traveled to Ayacucho, Peru, last summer with Cross Cultural Solutions, a non-profit organizer of short-term volunteer projects the group likens to "a short stint in the Peace Corps."
Debonis, a Spanish major, worked in a nursing home for abandoned and homeless elderly people. She helped residents eat and exercise, and offered them personal attention. Fluent in Spanish, Debonis was able to converse with the residents about their lives and country.
Funded by a grant from the C. Weinstein Grant for International Project and Study, the trip ignited her interest in South American economic and political development. She plans to study in Chile during the spring 2009 semester and plans to use research from her two international experiences in a senior seminar project on South America.