KS
Kathryn Shaner
  • Nursing
  • Class of 2015
  • Reading, Pa.

Kathryn Shaner Making a Difference Through Alternative Break Program

2014 Dec 22

Kathryn Shaner of Reading, Pa., is spending winter break working to help others in the Dominican Republic, through an Alvernia University Alternative Break program. Shaner is a Nursing major at the university.

During the fall semester, Alvernia students participating in winter alternative break trips learned about the social justice issues they will likely experience this winter. These students are working to better understand the causes and effects of poverty, and to make a difference in society, as they travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, Philadelphia, Pa., Reading, Pa., and the Dominican Republic.

A week of teaching, serving and learning in which Alvernia students will experience life in the Los Tres Brazos barrio of the Dominican Republic, and assist the Bernardine Sisters with the operations of their school in the barrio. Students have prepared lesson plans in areas of language and communication, physical education and arts and crafts to help build cultural bridges in a classroom setting. They are expected to learn tangible outcomes of the concept of compassionate giving by immersing themselves in the rich legacy of the Bernardine Sisters who founded Alvernia University.

ALVERNIA is a fast growing Franciscan university, grounded in the Catholic and liberal arts traditions, that combines diverse academic opportunities with personal attention and an unmatched commitment to community service. Situated on a scenic 121-acre suburban campus in historic Berks County, Pa., the university supports a rigorous and caring learning community that is home to more than 3,000 students. For more information visit alvernia.edu.