I am currently majoring in biology and minoring in Spanish in hopes to become a bilingual Physician’s Assistant. My goal is to become apart of an organization similar to Doctors Without Borders and travel abroad on medical missions.
This desire developed when I went on my first mission trip to Haiti during Spring Break of my sophomore year in High School. When I arrived in Titanyen, Haiti I was shocked by the poverty and living conditions. The medical clinic was cramped, understaffed and lacked adequate supplies and the majority of the children were shoeless. I was witnessing first-hand what I had only ever briefly read in articles or seen occasional pictures of in commercials and newspapers. Immediately, I desired to help in any way I could. I had the opportunity to wash the older women’s feet and paint their nails and toes, play soccer with the children, paint houses, and hold the young orphans in my arms. I was touched by the love and joy I saw on the faces of each person I met. They were genuinely excited to meet and spend time with me.
Due to the language barrier, I sought other ways to make them laugh and showed them, to the best that I could, Jesus’s love through my actions. However, I could not help but wonder what it would have been like if I had more to offer them. More than anything, I wish I could have met the medical needs of the people I met who were suffering. I am excited to pursue a medical career and hopefully have the opportunity to return to Haiti and travel to other areas around the world and assist in clinics.
Becoming more globally engaged allows me to better understand the world and how to communicate appropriately with the people I meet. I am only six weeks into the course Understanding the Global Community and have already learned an extensive amount of information. Through the course, I have realized that one should never believe a “single story” about another country and the importance in understanding other cultures and their traditions. I am excited to continue setting goals, learning about other parts of the world, and pursuing study abroad opportunities and mission trips.