Former community service officer and president of the University of Puerto Rico MEDLIFE Chapter, Yvonne Rios Villanueva took time out of her schedule to chat with me about her time as an E-Board member, her experience volunteering abroad in Peru and Ecuador, and advice for future leaders looking to get involved with MEDLIFE. It was an enlightening experience to speak with someone so passionate about public health and so driven in everything she does.
For anyone looking to get started on their MEDLIFE journey, Yvonne is someone you can definitely learn from. Check out the full interview below!
Mary: Thank you so much for meeting with me today. The first thing I want to ask you is if you could introduce yourself, where you studied, and what your position title was.
Yvonne: My name is Yvonne. I studied biology with an emphasis in biomedics at the University of Puerto Rico, and as an E-Board member, I was a community service officer and I was also was the president for a year.
Mary: And what are you up to now?
Yvonne: Right now, I am the coordinator of the Institute of Student Leadership at the University of Puerto Rico.
Mary: Amazing! Can you describe what your E-Board position entailed, and what you did on a daily basis?
Yvonne: As a community service officer, I was the one who connected with the community. I went to meetings with leaders and community leaders. I also organized meetings with other student organizations so we could make activities in between. I also made the calls and booked meetings with the children’s homes. For example, if there was a march for cancer or any other activity for the community to help with things like sicknesses, or someone needed help because they were from low-income families, we were there to help. As a president, I was the one who was appointed to meet with the E-Board members. I was also in contact with MedLife HQ. I was the one who supported every single other E-Board member in their activities and the day-to-day things if they needed help.
Mary: And how did you first get involved with MEDLIFE? How did you hear about us?
Yvonne: I got involved with MEDLIFE in my first year, but I wasn’t a full member until my second year in university. I saw that they were aligned with helping others, developing communities with education and medicine, and that was basically what I was studying, so I got really interested in what they were doing. Before I was a member, I started to participate in some of their activities to see what they were doing. And since my second year, I was able to start building connections with other members, so I was able to be part of MEDLIFE.
Mary: How did your time with MEDLIFE influence your academic or career goals?
Yvonne: When I saw what they were doing, it was when I first started college, and I was interested in being a medical doctor. Then, in my third year, I started to align more with psychology, but still, I thought that they were aligned with that, because MEDLIFE doesn’t only focus on the medicine part. They also do education and development. And even in the medical part, psychology is really important, because mental health is a part of the care that people need along with their physical needs.
Mary: Did you spend any time volunteering abroad on an SLT or mobile clinic, and what were your experiences?
Yvonne: I participated in two SLTs while I was with MEDLIFE. I went to Cusco, Peru and I also went to Tena, Ecuador. I would say that those experiences are indescribable, because everything that we felt during the trips was unreal to us. I’m from Puerto Rico, and we see that people lack necessities here. Some people lack access to the basic needs, basic healthcare. But in those countries (Peru and Ecuador) it’s more palpable. We can see it on every single corner of the country and in every mobile clinic. When we had experiences with people, we connected with people, and we were able to see how they see us as some type of, let’s say, a miracle. Because when they see us, they say: “finally, help is here.” So, it was an experience that opened my eyes, at least, and I know the people that went with me were able to see it too. An SLT trip is a place where you can learn even more than what you see in your country, because we go into another reality, and you think: “that doesn’t happen where I live,” but it could be happening without us noticing.
Mary: What advice would you give to somebody who has just started an E-Board position?
Yvonne: I would say to them that they should not be afraid of making change, because many times when you start an E-Board position, you get afraid. “What if I do it wrong? What if I don’t make what they want me to do? What if maybe they want something else? Maybe I won’t give my all?” You shouldn’t be afraid to start on a position in a E-Board, because maybe you think: “oh, I’m not a leader.” Or maybe: “they don’t consider me a leader.” But the reality is that being a leader is building yourself step-by-step. And if you don’t dare to do something, and you don’t dare to move along with others and try to help others, you’re never going to be able to fulfill yourself as a leader. So I would say to them, don’t be afraid to take a step of faith.
Mary: Absolutely. That’s an amazing answer. My final question for you is, what would you tell someone who is considering getting involved with MEDLIFE in general?
Yvonne: I would say to them that the first thing they should see is if MEDLIFE aligns with them. Because sometimes there are people who might say: “no, MEDLIFE is only medicine.” But the reality is that MEDLIFE is open to many people because anyone can help in any way. It’s not only the medicine part, it can also be education. We can do development as we do in the SLTs and even in our own communities. So they should be more aware of what MEDLIFE really is. They should go over and ask some questions and be more aligned with what MEDLIFE really is.
Mary: Well, that’s the end of my questions. Thank you so much for speaking with me today Ivonne.
Yvonne: Thank you!
Inspired by Yvonne’s story and experiences with MEDLIFE? Learn more about volunteering abroad in Latin America and Africa today by filling out the interest form below or downloading our free brochure.