In today’s job market, it might seem unusual to stray from the usual path most new nursing graduates seek, but for senior Caroline Kemp, San Diego beckoned. This summer, she is set to travel to California to begin her journey as an Augustinian Volunteer in the southern part of the state.
“My faith is an integral part of who I am and is my personal ‘mission statement’,” she explains. Her strong faith played a key role in her choice to come to the Villanova; the University’s service opportunities and student-run liturgical ministries gave her the opportunity to blend her desire to help others through nursing while incorporating her faith.
“From being a nervous seven year old handing out sandwiches at a soup kitchen with my family to helping a young abused mother in South Africa, I have grown in faith and love and my desire to serve others has become a central part of who I am,” Caroline explains.
Last spring, she visited South Africa with other College of Nursing undergraduates where she had a chance to meet the Augustinian Volunteers in Durban. The Augustinian tradition at Villanova has had a profound influence on Caroline and working as a volunteer seemed the perfect fit. Upon graduation, she will travel to San Diego to work as a registered nurse at a clinic that offers medical and dental care for residents of St. Vincent de Paul Village, a homeless shelter. She will also be assisting with the assertive community treatment program, which is a multidisciplinary approach for clients with a history of homelessness and mental illness.