By Emily Rowan ('17)
Samantha Penecale had never been on a mission trip before her time at Cabrini. She didn’t really know what to expect when she signed up to attend a service trip to Nicaragua, but she decided to venture to a third-world country in hopes of making a difference.
That is exactly what Penecale wound up doing.
Penecale is a senior Early Education major (Pre-K–4 with Special Pre-K–8). Her background in teaching has inspired her to want to lend a helping hand to as many people as she can.
Before that first trip—a weeklong visit to Nicaragua—Penecale was nervous, but once there, she felt almost at home. “Members of the community were all so welcoming and grateful for the help that was being provided to them,” recalled Penecale. In that one week, she created lasting bonds with the people she encountered—bonds that grew so strong that she decided her first trip to Nicaragua would not be her last.
Joe Fiore, a junior Exercise Science and Health Promotion major, had the privilege of going to Nicaragua for the past two summers along with Penecale. While there, they helped dig areas to put in pipes so the community could have running water and more modern bathrooms. They also helped to build a school for the children.
“All of the Nicaraguan children flocked to her,” Fiore said. “I think that definitely says something about her as a person.”
Penecale grew to love one in particular, a 3-year-old boy named Gabriel. He showed her how he picks mangos and they would have lunches together every day at noon. His grandmother spent one afternoon making Penecale a home-cooked meal, a special treat after eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for days
The bond Penecale wound up making with Gabriel is one that left a lasting impact on her life.
“The second year we went, Sam wanted to make it a point to see Gabriel and his family, even though we weren’t working in his community,” Fiore said. “Gabriel and his uncle walked miles to find Sam. That just shows the impact she had on them.”
Penecale still keeps in touch and gets calls from Gabriel and his family back in Nicaragua, which always brightens her day.
“The trip made me realize there are still good people in the world and that life does not always have to be so crazy,” Penecale said.
Junior Brittany Runyen, a friend of Penecale’s who plays with her on the Cabrini soccer team, went to Nicaragua with Penecale in the summer of 2015.
“The experience was incredible,” Runyen said. “Everyone takes away something different from that kind of trip, and I could really see the effect that it had on Sam.”
Runyen noted how much Penecale loved the culture and lifestyle in Nicaragua.
“She wanted to go back immediately,” Runyen said.
Penecale has now visited Nicaragua on three occasions over the course of her time at Cabrini, and she has a fourth trip planned for this upcoming summer.
“I’m going back to see my friends,” she said. “I have a lot of friends who are natives who I cannot wait to see! It sort of has become a home away from home for me.”
Visiting Nicaragua has not only inspired Penecale and helped her to see the world in a new light, but it also helped to restore her faith in God, Penecale said, something she will forever be grateful for.
“I am going back because I feel like it’s where God has led me,” Penecale said. “I wasn’t really practicing my faith, and then I got down there, and you see God shine through everyone in everything they do down in Nicaragua.”
During her upcoming trip, Penecale is looking forward to getting to see the now-completed school that she helped to build during her second trip.
“I think it is awesome that Sam has invested so much time in Nicaragua,” Runyun said. “It may not seem like it because she is only one person, but she truly is making a difference there.”
After immersing herself in a new culture, Penecale has come to realize that she can do anything she puts her mind to.
“Overall, these experiences have changed my life for the better,” Penecale said. “They have taught me that my problems, which I might see as big at the time, are really small compared to what others go through.”
So, after all of her experiences, what is Penecale’s biggest piece of advice for others?
“Lend your hand and, I promise, you will not be disappointed.”