November Volunteer Spotlight: Alyssa Bienvenu Santos

Alyssa holding a cat at PAWS
November 21, 2022

How long have you been at PAWS?

I started volunteering at PAWS in the fall of 2017. I had just moved here for graduate school and decided I wanted to adopt a cat. I visited PAWS and picked out my first feline companion. The experience was so great that I started volunteering in the cat wing a couple of weeks later.

What's your favorite thing about PAWS?

I love the sense of community that you get from PAWS. Everyone is so different, but we all have this common love of animals. The friendly and passionate people make PAWS a great place to be.

What's your favorite thing to do at PAWS?

My favorite thing to do at PAWS is greet visitors. I love listening to their stories and helping them find the purr-fect companion for their household.

What are your favorite non-PAWS hobbies?

When I have the time, I love dancing, specifically West Coast Swing. It’s a modern style of partner swing dancing that works with everything from pop to blues to country.

Where are you from?

I am originally from south-central Louisiana. I grew up not far from where Tabasco hot sauce is made and have tons of memories as a teenager from the Gulf of Mexico. I saw snow and colorful fall foliage for the first time when I moved here. It’s still exciting every year, and I can’t wait for the snow to start sticking.

What's your favorite food?

All things Cajun! I love to cook and bake, but I am particularly fond of making food from home. I don’t think I can pick a single favorite, but I really love red beans and rice, gumbo, jambalaya, and crawfish étouffée.