COMMUNITY SERVICE

Are you interested in becoming a doctor, chef, engineer, interior designer or teacher?  Engage in projects tailored to your interests that address local community needs such as:

•    Assisting a physician delivering babies and providing pre-natal health care in rural pueblos;
•    Empowering indigenous kids through performance arts, computers and English education;
•    Developing a fair-trade price structure for a women’s weaving micro-enterprise cooperative;
•    Building raised beds in a medicinal herb garden for a cooperative of traditional mid-wives; or
•    Rehabilitating poached monkeys and green parrots for release into the wild.

In addition to gaining important lfe skills, service provides a structure for further integration into local communities as well the joy of giving.   Sharing your talents makes a difference!



 "The hospitalito continues to amaze me! Last week I helped Doctora Lisa, an OBGYN, see patients and deliver babies. She delivered in total 4 births: one stillborn breech, one induced vaginal birth, one vaginal birth, and one caesarean section.  Shadowing and translating for la Doctora was one of the most amazing experiences I´ve EVER had! She was an incredible woman who always wanted to teach me more and let me be there for every birth."


"My volunteer project taught me so much about education, children, and myself.   I learned that I am far more capable than I ever imagined.  Normally when in front of a group or class, I get stage-fright.  But as a teacher, all I cared about was working with the kids. Whenever I wore my traje, even though I was slightly self-conscious, the kids loved it!  They were even better behaved in class and worked harder.  It was so amazing watching the children learn and understand what I taught them.  That is a treasure I will remember forever."

 
"I have always known that I will study mathematics, and when I was accepted to Harvey Mudd, I was sure that I would pursue a mathematics and computer science dual major.  But I find myself enjoying the process of creating a maguey machine so much that I am considering studying mechanical engineering instead.  I have also learned to appreciate all the things around me that are man-made.  When I walk down the street and see a man building a house, I admire the time and effort he has put into it now that I know how much planning and work it is to make a small machine.  I can’t wait to have a completed and, hopefully, functional maguey processing machine to help the indigenous people with this laborious process!"


"Working with the marine park has opened my eyes to a whole world that I was unaware of previously.  I am interested in public health and medicine, so learning about the quality of water that people are swimming in and eating seafood from was very interesting.  I also enjoyed seeing how millions of sea animals' lives are negatively affected when water quality is altered as a result of human influence.  I am so grateful to have this opportunity to be an informed individual that can make smarter decisions in how I choose to live."