As the name suggests, my service as a volunteer consisted of accompanying patients at a hospital in Madrid, who may be alone or disoriented from being in a stressful situation or unfamiliar setting. Another important part of this community work was assisting families, who need emotional support while caring for their loved ones.
My journey to Spain was largely made possible through attending University of Wisconsin-Madison on a four-year full-tuition scholarship, provided by the Posse Foundation. Posse is a national fellowship program that I began before I entered my freshman year. The Posse Foundation provided college preparation, and connected me with nine other Posse Scholars from New York City, whom I went to Wisconsin with. The University of Wisconsin-Madison New York Posse Scholars are all STEM-oriented, which means that all our career paths have trajectories aimed at pursuing science or math related fields. For example, some of my peers are also entering healthcare, while others study topics such as geology or engineering! Outside of assisting with the financial complications of tuition, Posse provides a community on campus in Wisconsin, along with academic advising, events, and support in all realms that has made UW-Madison my home away from home.
Thank you to the best third-graders in Indiana for coming along for my journey to Spain - it has been such a pleasure, ¡encantada!
