Name: Yash
Region: Midwest
School: McMaster University
Hi! My name is Yash and I am currently in my second year of the Health Sciences Program at McMaster University. I was a MEDLIFE Volunteer Affairs Intern for the summer of 2016 and am now participating in MEDLIFE’s Student Advisory Board, representing the Midwest region. Over time, MEDLIFE has become a very big part of my life. Spending 2 months in Lima for the VA Internship really allowed me to appreciate the work that MEDLIFE is doing. I was able to see the impact that staircases, sandwich carts, and ramps can have on people’s lives. Not only did mobile clinics deliver care to inaccessible communities, but they also inspired volunteers to make a difference in their communities back home. I think that MEDLIFE’s sustainability and vision set it apart from other NGO’s, and this is why I chose to be a SAB member.
Name: Alexi
Region: South
School: University of Georgia Aluma
I graduated from the University of Georgia and am apart of the South region of SAB.
MEDLIFE is so close to my heart because of the genuine compassion all the workers and volunteers show to the patients abroad. Providing culturally-sensitive care is increasingly important when in different countries, and the great effort that MEDLIFE puts forth to make that happen is very important. Also, the excitement volunteers show, whether abroad or in the local chapters, is always so palpable when working with MEDLIFE, which makes helping the community so much more exciting and rewarding for ourselves and the people we serve.
Name: Alysha
Region: Northeast
School: Dalhousie University
I’m Alysha, a third-year Medical Sciences student at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I’m passionate about sustainable, community-based approaches to addressing global health inequality, and that’s why I was so excited when I learned about MEDLIFE’s mission and values. MEDLIFE listens to the communities it serves, protects them from voluntourism, and empowers them to address the root causes of their health problems and break cycles of poverty. That’s a mission I can get behind.
Name: Connie
Region: West
School: Graduate of University of Washington
I am a recent University of Washington alumna and am excited to continue my MEDLIFE experience as a part of the SAB (Western region)! During my college career, MEDLIFE helped me develop a greater passion for healthcare, opening my eyes to a different perspective and more holistic approach to addressing the issues of inequality.
Name: Tatiana
School: University of Florida
Region: South
MEDLIFE is important to me because we share the same vision. I believe in equality despite social and economic standing in terms of healthcare as well as in all aspects. Working with MEDLIFE this past summer has shown me the difference that a few determined individuals can make and I want to continue making this difference back home.
Name: Damaris
Region: Puerto Rico
School: University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras
My name is Damaris Joubert Miranda from UPR Rio Piedras in Puerto Rico. MEDLIFE is an organization that has impacted and changed my point of view of seeing life. Many times we complain about the way we live but around the world there are many people with more needs than us, and yet with such small and few things they have, are the most happy and grateful people in the world. Helping people both here in Puerto Rico and other countries brings me satisfaction that I cannot express in words, because it is so great. I joined the SAB because I want to impact more people in the same way I was shocked and to recruit people to join MEDLIFE to help all or most of the needs either through medicine, education and/or development to communities with low incomes.
Name: Jay
Region: Northeast
School: Cornell University
My name is Jay Wook Jun and I am currently a junior undergraduate at Cornell University. I’m from a small town called Closter in upper New Jersey and am excited to be serving on the MEDLIFE Student Advisory Board as a representative for the Northeast! I’m proud to be a part of MEDLIFE because as volunteers, we are helping improve health care accessibility for everyone. Even when the volunteer trips come to an end, the organization constantly has medical teams working in the field to help poverty-stricken communities. I joined the SAB because I wanted to become deeply involved in working with high schools, university MEDLIFE chapters, and volunteer teams abroad to spread awareness about MEDLIFE’s mission. I am always thankful to the organization because being a part of MEDLIFE has not only deepened my interest in global health issues but also inspired me to become a doctor involved in international medicine someday.
Name: Jordyn
Region: West
School: University of Arizona
My name is Jordyn and I go to the University of Arizona! I will be working with chapters in the West this year and couldn’t be more excited to further promote MEDLIFE through this region. I wanted to be on the SAB because over the past three years working with my own chapter, I have really fallen in love with the MEDLIFE mission and the work we do internationally, as well as the opportunities we have to make a change in our own communities through work with our local chapters. I have been able to see the incredible impact we can make on the lives of families living in poverty and am looking forward to helping to expand and support our chapters in order to reach and impact even more people.
Name: Nina
Region: South
School: Florida State University
My name is Nina Bracciano. I am Senior at Florida State University, studying Biological Sciences, aspiring to become a Physician. I am apart of the South SAB region. I have been apart of MEDLIFE FSU-Health for 3 years, and have attended 2 Mobile Clinic trips. MEDLIFE is important to me because it brings like-minded students together to strive to make a difference on campus and abroad on clinic trips by providing the necessary healthcare and education to low income communities. I joined SAB in hopes to expand the MEDLIFE mission to more students in the south.
Name: Alex
Region: Northeast
School: The Ohio State University
Hi everyone! My name is Alex Hatke, I’m a second year student at The Ohio State University studying Public Health, and I’m an SAB member for the Northeast Region. I joined the SAB because I’m always looking for ways to get involved with MEDLIFE, and after being a Volunteer Affairs intern this past summer, it seemed like a great way to stay involved after returning home. Being a part of MEDLIFE is important to me because I really believe in the organization, that healthcare is a human right, and that each person deserves equality and equity.
Name: Nisa
School: Graduated, but previously UPR Cayey
Region: Puerto Rico
I decided to join MEDLIFE SAB to continue being a part of their work. I want to help impact more communities and help broaden the organization in Puerto Rico so that we can keep spreading the word, educating and improving our surrounding communities for the better.