Andrea Mandujano

As a Kathwari Honors Student, Kathwari Honors Assistant, sophomore Nursing major, Psychology minor, and social media specialist, Andrea Mandujano wears many hats. Regardless of which hat she’s wearing, it’s guaranteed that she’s giving back to others and her community. This past summer, in Costa Rica, she gave back through the Maximó Nivel program, where she served as a volunteer at the Asociación Albergue de Rehabilitación al Alcohólico Adulto Mayor Indigente (The Association for the Rehabilitation of Elderly Alcoholics).

As one of the only Spanish-speaking volunteers, she felt proud to provide a quality of care and communication that other volunteers weren’t able to give. Mandujano described one such moment where she made a difference: “When I did a walk-through on my first day, this patient was sitting in his wheelchair crying. Site staff had told me that he was very depressed, and I could see the sadness in his eyes. While I was there, I made sure to take him on walks so he could easily talk to someone. We went on walks where he would tell me about his life before being in the facility. It really meant a lot to him, and I learned a lot, too.”

Andrea Mandujano

Besides her volunteer work, Mandujano immersed herself in Costa Rican culture. Mandujano’s housing was with her “homestay mom,” Marlene, who truly transformed her trip abroad. This trip was Mandujano’s first time traveling outside of the U.S., so Marlene’s delicious traditional Costa Rican dishes and advice for what to experience really made her feel at home away from home. Another person who made a big difference on her trip was Nurse Rebecca at her volunteer placement. She gave Mandujano endless advice and guidance on treating patients and mobilizing them: “Nurse Rebecca and Marlene genuinely wanted to help and teach me, and I appreciated that.”

Mandujano emphasized how much of her transformative experiences at WestConn were a direct result of her involvement in the Kathwari Honors Program. As a transfer student, she truly appreciates the resources and the community of the Honors Program where everyone, staff and students alike, truly want each other to succeed and have opportunities that students at other institutions don’t get to have. “Because of the generous funding from the Kathwari Family and Barden Fund, I was able to experience Costa Rica and learn about what clinical experience in a nursing home is like,” Mandujano explained, “and it also helped me better my Spanish medical terminology. I wouldn’t have been able to do these things without their generosity!”

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