In high school, Carolyn McDonald felt a connection to the country of Haiti and decided to focus her future on how she could help make it a better place.
McDonald, of State College, Pennsylvania, a community, environment, and development major in the College of Agricultural Sciences, first traveled to Haiti when she was 15 years old.
"I was moved and troubled by the poverty I witnessed and wanted to make a difference," she said. "I realized I needed to learn how to help in the most effective way, so I began searching for majors that I felt would teach me the skills I needed."
McDonald was set on moving to Haiti after graduating from high school, but her family and Haitian friends urged her to go to college.
During her search, McDonald discovered the community, environment, and development major at Penn State. The program helps students to develop knowledge and skills needed to work with various communities in solving difficult problems facing society.