Daniel, a history/political science major who will graduate next spring, was moved to go to the border by an interest in seeing how the politics she learned about in books translates into life on the ground.
 
“I wanted to know up close. I did not want to be in a position of talking about it from a position of authority without seeing it myself,” she said.

Visiting a packed homeless shelter and seeing people having to bathe in the cold, dirty water of the Rio Grande changed her priorities and help establish her future life course, said Daniel, who is from Fayetteville and attends First Presbyterian Church of Batesville.

Daniel hopes to be able to spend a year serving as a YAV. After that, she is looking at pursuing a master’s in public administration with a goal of entering full-time nonprofit work.