In the mass of blue T-shirt-clad Eastern students ready to help freshmen and transfer students adjust to college life is Robin Duncan.

Duncan, a sophomore pre-nursing major, is one of the members of Prowl, a six-week program to orient students with college life and Eastern’s campus.

Duncan said she liked the opening activities last year when she was a freshman, as well as the idea of getting out and meeting new people.

She’s not only into helping freshmen students get acclimated to campus. As a member of Haiti Connection through the Newman Catholic Center, she’s dedicated to helping other causes, too.

Haiti Connection is a not-for-profit group that raises money for Haiti. This summer, Duncan traveled to Haiti and spent May 9 through 18 helping with water purification and reforestation projects.

“I was just looking to get involved,” she said. “I was just trying to do something where I could help people.”

Duncan said she was already thinking about getting a master’s degree before her trip to Haiti, but now she thinks she might get her master’s degree and focus on tropical diseases so she could work in a country like Haiti.

Her time spent away from modern conveniences helped her realize how much Americans take for granted and how good she has it at home.

People do not appreciate electricity and running water until they’re put in a situation without it, she said.

Duncan is from DuQuoin, near Carbondale. Originally she planned to stay home, but she decided Southern Illinois University at Carbondale was too close. Her parents are Eastern alumni, and her sister, Kristin, goes to Eastern.

Also while at Eastern, she’s a member of College Democrats and spent time working an internship for Dr. David Gill, a U.S. House hopeful.

Duncan helped manage Gill’s office in the square in Charleston and hosted fundraisers, administered fundraisers and surveys.