This internship has been a life changing experience for me. As someone who have lived in growing urban areas all his life, I have read and heard about the poverty in these former industrial towns but never experienced them. I have come to recognize how rural poverty contrast with urban poverty and the difficulties that are unique to the coal region. I will miss Pennsylvania and hopefully return to this area to contribute my work experience and expertise to the fight against poverty. 

Shamokin has opened my eyes to a whole new world, and despite having been lucky enough to travel the world, I've never lived in such a unique place before. The warm and welcoming residents have made it feel like a second home to me, and I cannot thank everyone here enough for everything they havce taught me. I will miss Shamokin and everyone in it a lot. 

Shamokin, Northumberland County, and the amazing people I met will walways have a place in my heart. 

Shamokin is a community of people who ferociously care for one another; a place full of people dedicated to helping and serving their neighbors through the pitfalls of life. 

More than anything, I am so appreciative of how welcoming and hospitable Shamokin members of Mother Cabrini have been to us. Being in a town completely different than anything I have ever been exposed to has been challenging, but the support we received from people who directly interacted with us never went unnoticed.