UNIVERSITY PARK
Standing on a mountaintop in Rio de Janeiro, the famous Christ the Redeemer statue a few feet away, philosophy major Haleigh Washington was enthralled.
In the distance Penn State’s rising senior saw tiny boats bobbing in the bay of the Atlantic Ocean and skyscrapers rising above the city.
“It was really just a nice eye-opener of how incredibly insignificant we are,” she said. “As an existentialist, I guess there are moments in life where you’re like, ‘Wow. We really are insignificant.’”
That, Washington said, was the highlight of her 12-day trip to Brazil — along with the rest of the Penn State women’s volleyball team — in early May.