In her two years there, she has tutored at a local elementary school, worked as a residence assistant and volunteered at a local nursing home, and next semester she will run the campus ministry’s soup kitchen, driving the van and recruiting volunteers.

Before she could travel to Guyana, she had to take a prerequisite course and go through an interview process. The trip, she noted, was not a part of her academic focus, the Physician Assistant Students program, but rather a component of the religious studies program.

She said she would like to continue volunteer work after she graduates. “There are a lot of different kinds of volunteer opportunities, like AmeriCorps,” she said. “I’ve been starting to kick that idea around because I know that, especially in a place like Guyana, they can really use people in the medical field.”

She returned from Guyana, Morein said, with a different worldview. “Before going, I was very goal-oriented, rushing to do everything,” she said. “But the people [there] are much more relaxed. They take time to appreciate everything and be present in the moment, and I’ve really been trying to do that since I’ve been back. Take a little more time, and really appreciate where you are and who you’re with.”