Brittany Beasley, a senior double major in English and Spanish, was recently offered a volunteer position in Colombia, South America by the Young Adult Volunteers Program. She has accepted the position, and she will find out in June where in Colombia and with what program she will be serving throughout the year she spends there.

The Young Adult Volunteers (YAV) Program is a volunteer program through the Presbyterian Church (USA). It provides young adults between the ages of 19 and 30 with the opportunity to spend a year in service. The motto of this program is “A Year of Service, A Lifetime of Change.” Prospective volunteers can interview for placements at both national and international sites.

A love for service has been ingrained in Beasley for as long as she remembers. She mentions how her parents instilled in her a passion for service early on, and this passion has grown during her time at PC.

Concerning her desire to serve, she said, “I have learned over and over again through my experiences at PC that if you have gifts, you should use them to benefit others. I will never forget something Dr. Disasa told me during a meeting in his office when I was a freshman. He said, ‘To whom much is given, much is required.’”

She cites the PC Spanish Department as one of her biggest influences, a group that has given much to her and ignited her desire to give to others as a result. “The Spanish department has helped me grow and feel confident in my Spanish language learning, which will benefit me so much in Colombia. I can’t wait to put what I have learned into practice while I serve,” she said.

Beasley also studied abroad in Spain during her time as a PC student, mentioning this experience as another example of how much has been given to her. “This experience is part of what gave me the courage to apply for the international sites. I knew that I had been away from home before and that it was amazing, and I’m confident that this experience will be just as great. PC has really prepared me for my next step in a lot of ways,” she said.

Overall, Beasley’s excitement to continue serving beyond her time at PC epitomizes what it means to be a Blue Hose: “I think volunteering is a process that is never one-sided, so I am excited to see how I will grow and change during my YAV year and to walk beside people in whatever location I am placed in. This accomplishment means a lot to me because I have worked hard during my years at PC. In this program, I can put what I have learned into action by doing what I love.”

Presbyterian College is located on a striking 240-acre campus in Clinton, between Columbia and Greenville, S.C. Offering challenging academics and a culture of honor, ethics, and service that prepares students to be leaders in communities, PC offers its students the benefit of engaging with an exceptional faculty who take individual interest in their students’ well-being, both personally and in the classroom. The Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy opened in 2010, and is dedicated to the ideals of leadership, honor to the profession, and service to the community. For more information about Presbyterian College, visit www.presby.edu.