Global HEED Graduate Fellow

Mera Geis
School: New York Medical College
Hometown: Colorado

My names is Mera (Geis). I will be the Graduate Fellow on the team and responsible for helping develop and implement the community needs assessment. I will also be a moderator for the online forums and a discussion leader during conference calls. Christina (Martin) is the trip leader but we will be working together to help interns learn as much as possible during their participation in this program. I am originally from Colorado so I love the outdoors. I was also fortunate to be able to travel a lot as a child so I have an appreciation and love for international travel. I got my BA at Northwestern University in cultural anthropology and am currently a graduate student at New York Medical College getting my MPH in International Health. I have done a lot of health-related volunteer work at home and abroad including living in rural Ghana for a year doing volunteer medical work. I am hoping to attend medical school and use my combined MD/MPH skills to make a difference in developing nations. I think this opportunity with Global HEED will give me a great opportunity to utilize and refine the skills I have learned through my formal and informal training. My current research interests include: maternal, infant and child health (MICH) as well as structural and gender-based violence against women.

Alice Cho
School: Emory University, 3rd year
Hometown: Denver, Colorado

My name is Alice Cho and I just finished my sophomore year at Emory University. I'm currently a double major, studying biology and chemistry. My current post-graduate plans are to attend medical school; now, whether or not that will actually happen is a completely different story. My main activities aside from studying are working at a research laboratory, volunteering at the children's hospital, and participating in various clubs around campus, including Emory's radio station. I'm really excited to be going to Guatemala as I have actually never actually gone to country outside of the US, aside from Asian countries. While I'm enthusiastic about being able to help people and travel and all that good stuff, I'm hoping that this trip will be a chance to find out more about myself. I've never gone on a trip like this before and am excited about the prospect of devoting myself for 2 weeks to a great cause and putting my life into perspective.

Sandy Chong
School: UC Berkeley, 3rd year
Hometown: Macau

My name is Sandy Chong. I am originally from Macau, but I immigrated to United States three years ago when I started my college and working as a piano tutor at Oakland. Brought up in a melting pot of cultures, I enjoy bridging myself with different cultural backgrounds, which makes me fascinated with exposure of different cultures as well as this exciting project. After transferring to Cal with a major of Nutritional Science, I have been inspired a lot with today’s healthcare frustration in terms of cultural concerns and accessibility, which I found the most challenging and crucial according to my volunteering experience. Currently, I am working in one of the labs in campus which is focusing on transcription regulation of lipogenesis in relation to the nutritional metabolism and prospective application on diet-related health issues such as obesity and diabetes mellitus. On the other hand, I am also devoted to a clinical community health program regarding Hepatitis B in San Francisco Chinatown and UCSF Mt. Zion Clinic. We help providing screening, vaccination and education in regard to Hepatitis B among the underserved minority communities, whereas we assist in various outreach events for public promotion of Hepatitis B in Asian Pacific Islander population particularly. I recognized that education is the most fundamental elements for wellness promotion not only to individual, but to the whole community, where cultural awareness and understanding human conditions are vital to approach via this basic access. Therefore, I do look forward to working as part of this prospective healthcare team, which would be one of the memorable experiences for my aspiration of life-long learning for health science definitely.

Anne Clarke
School: Emory University, 4th year
Hometown: Huntsville, Alabama

Hi, my name is Anne Clark. I was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama and am a rising senior at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. I am majoring in Economics, but have yet to really figure out what I want to do post-graduation. I am a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and very involved on Emory’s campus, where I tend to do a little bit of everything. I am excited to travel to Guatemala because I see it as an opportunity to be both challenged and inspired to make a positive impact. I see this as the first of many trips I hope to make in the future promoting economic development and cultural understanding.

Jami Craig
School: University of Colorado at Denver
Hometown: Kansas City, MO

My name is Jami Craig. I am originally from Kansas City, MO, but I reside in Denver, CO. I attended Missouri State University where I received a B.S. in Marketing. I currently attend the University of Colorado at Denver where I am in my last year of my MBA in Health Administration. My career began with Cerner Corporation where I worked as a consultant in Health IT based in Kansas City and London. My time in London shaped my future interests in working and traveling abroad immensely. Now, I work for Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) in the program management office. In June 2009, I traveled to Leogane, Haiti to assist Hopital Ste. Croix develop a strategic plan for inpatient care and administration. I believe that all members of the global community are connected and can benefit from learning and sharing with one another. For the future of our planet is important to invest in the health and education of people all over the world. I believe that it is every person’s right to basic care regardless of ability to pay. I am looking forward to our trip to Calhuitz and hope that the people of the community as well as our group can learn and benefit from this experience. I owe my outlook on the world to my always supportive parents and grandparents.

Elizabeth Dean
School: UC Berkeley, 3rd year
Hometown: San Diego, California

My name is Elizabeth Dean. I am originally from San Diego, CA and I am currently a third year Development Studies major and Music minor at UC Berkeley. I coach a girls soccer team through Soccer Without Boarders for refugee and immigrant youth. Latin America is my chosen geographical focus for my major and I have done a great deal of research on Guatemala for development studies courses I have taken. I applied for this position because volunteering in Guatemala would give me invaluable hands on experience addressing the challenges and needs of Latin American communities. My studies at UC Berkeley have empowered me with a unique perspective towards development and I hope to use the knowledge I have about domestic and international development issues and practices to contribute ideas to the group and make a difference to the communities in which we will be working. I am not certain what my post-graduate or career plans will be, but I hope that this trip to Guatemala will help me to discern my future direction. Through this experience, I hope to learn the skills necessary to effectively collaborate with members of developing countries to imagine solutions for the complex problems that face the developing world and to discover the ways in which social change can be accomplished through global partnerships in Latin America.

Sarah Grant
School: Emory University, 2nd year
Hometown: Monroe, Georgia

My name is Sarah Grant. I was born in Georgia and have lived here all my life. I am an undergraduate student at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. Currently, I am majoring in sociology and focusing on pre-pharmacy courses. When I'm not in school I am working as a certified pharmacy technician in a nearby pharmacy. I am extremely excitied to travel to Guatemala because I have never been out of the country or had the opportunity to contribute to such an amazing, positive outreach. I believe in living life for all that its worth, and the only way I can see that happening is if I help give someone else a chance to live their life for all it's worth, which is what we'l be doing in Guatemala.

Emily Grossniklaus
School: Emory University, 3rd year
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

I am a rising senior at Emory University, studying biology and sociology. While I am not exactly sure of my post-graduation plans, I am really interested in public health and hope to be involved with it in the long run. I am incredibly excited about the summer trip to Guatemala, as it will be my first experience in international volunteering – I am looking forward to traveling while learning and working, hopefully outside! I love climbing, hiking, and camping, and will always want to play as much soccer as possible.

Harnoor Jolly
School: UC Berkeley, 3rd year
Hometown: Sacramento, California

My name is Harnoor Jolly, and I am from Sacramento, California. I just completed my second year at UC Berkeley, and am currently a Public Health major, with a minor in Global Poverty and Practice. I was born in New Delhi, India and migrated to the U.S when I was six years old. On my various visits and travels to India, I have observed the glaring contrasts in the living standards prevalent even among areas surrounding large cities; this initially sparked my interest in the field of poverty and social equality. I am currently a part of the Suitcase Clinic at Berkeley, which serves the poor/homeless population in the Berkeley area by providing various healthcare services and resources by which individuals can have access to jobs and perhaps seek help in finding housing. I have also become recently involved in the Berkeley chapter of Nourish International, an organization in which we manage small business ventures throughout the year, in an attempt to raise money and then to carry out various community development projects in poverty-stricken, underdeveloped countries. I am really looking forward to this Guatemala trip because it will give me yet another opportunity to look at global poverty and work with our group to understand the various issues/problems faced by the people. I am sure this will be an unforgettable learning experience for me and will have a positive impact on my future endeavors/work in this field.

Jenny Katherman
School: Emory University, 3rd year
Hometown: Shanghai, China

I grew up in Shanghai, China, living there for a total of 10 years. I am currently a junior at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. I am majoring in History with a concentration in non western worlds and Latin America and minoring in economic development. As of now my post graduate career plans are to attend law school with the goal of being an international lawyer. I am in the Gamma Phi Beta sorority and an active member in the Emory MicroCredit Club. Previously I was president of the Shanghai chapter of Amnesty International and took two Habitat for Humanity trips to Chennai, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh. Volunteering in developing countries is a passion of mine which is the initial reason I was drawn to Global HEED. I hope that my experience in developing countries will be of use to the trip but at the same time my lack of experience in Latin American countries will hopefully provide an exciting challenge.

Alex Lee
School: University of Pennsylvania, 4th year
Hometown: Panama

Hi, my name is actually Scott Alexander Lee but I go by Alex because my dad "misremembered" what he had really named his own son. I am Korean but I was born and raised in a little isthmus called Panama, not far from Guatemala. I am currently a rising senior at the University of Pennsylvania, hoping to graduate with a major in Diplomatic History and minors in Chemistry and Economics. I plan on being a dentist and so will probably be in school for several more years after graduation. At school, I am involved in Model UN and the pre-dental club. Last summer I participated in a similar two-week, dental volunteer trip to Costa Rica/Panama and had a blast. I am looking forward to our two weeks in Guatemala and hope we will be able help people become "happier".

Mike Park
School: Emory University, 3rd year
Hometown: Wanye, Pennslyvania

My name is Michael Park. I grew up in Wayne, PA. I am a junior studying for a Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Emory University. I am still undecided when it comes to what exactly I want to do after college. I am currently involved in few business related clubs and other activities such as intramural sports. In the past, I have volunteered at a local hospital, school sponsored charity events, and random Emory service trips. I applied to Global HEED because it would give me a great opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause. I strongly believe in the organization's effort to promote better health and economic development. I hope that the trip to Guatemala will be an invaluable learning experience and will change my outlook on the world for the better.

Shama Patel
School: Emory University, 4th year
Hometown: Commerce, Georgia

My name is Shama Patel. I was born in Commerce, Georgia. I will be beginning by fourth year at Emory University this fall. My major is psychology and I plan to go to Medical School. Over the past year I have been volunteering at Grady Memorial Hospital, Children's Hospital of Atlanta at Egleston, and the BEST Academy. I applied to Global HEED to go to Guatemala because I wanted to volunteer in a country where many non-profit organizations do not go in order to promote proper healthcare and education. I hope to gain an understanding of the most prominent health and educational issues in this society and to learn about their culture. I am very excited about this trip as it will be the first international service trip that I have attended.

Rebecca Robinson
School: Emory University Graduate
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland

My name is Rebecca Robinson and I am from Bethesda, MD. I graduated May 2009 from Emory University with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Anthropology. I am taking a year off to work, study for the GRE and focus on what career I want to go into. I am interested in Environmental Management and Public Health. I would like to go to graduate school to get my MPH focusing on Environmental Health. For the next year I will be working for Americorps being an Energy Action VISTA in Frederick MD. I appled to the Gobal HEED Guatemuala trip because I wanted to get out the US for a bit and volunteer for a noteworthy cause. I feel that this project and the work of Global HEED is very important and I am happy to help with the orgaizations work. I hope to gain experiences on health isses through this project and to widen my world view going to a country I've never been and seeing a new culture. I am very thankful for being able to go on this trip to benefit the live of others and to learn more about local and global health issues.

Kenny See
School: UC Berkeley, 4th year
Hometown: Hong Kong

Hi Everyone! My name is Kenny (Kai-Yin) See. Although I am originally from Hong Kong, I immigrated to the Silicon Valley while I was eighteen. I am currently a UC Berkeley senior student, majoring in Chemical Biology. My hobbies include cooking, barbequing, badminton, ping pong, swimming, running, Asian TV dramas and travelling to foreign countries J. In terms of extracurricular activities, I am currently a research student at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, performing research on human aging and DNA damage. Having a strong interest in public health, I have been participating in a student-based healthcare clinic in the Chinatown of San Francisco, providing Hepatitis B screening and vaccination as well as patient counseling. We have also organized various Hepatitis B educational workshops in the community, primarily targeting underserved minority groups. Due to my passion in working in foreign countries and dedicating in community health, the summer internship opportunity in Guatemala appeared to be one of the most breathtaking experiences I could ever imagine. In addition to the opportunities of developing a better understanding of the current obstacles faced by the healthcare system in Guatemala, I am expecting the trip to be full of excitement and fun, while allowing us to acquire a lot of experiences in rural medicine and concepts about community building.

Cindi Sounthonevat
School: University of Connecticut, 3rd year
Hometown: San Diego, California

Hi, My name is Cindi Sounthonevat but am very often called Cindi Sou due to my long last name. Before moving to the east coast, I was born in San Diego, California and enjoy being the youngest of 5 siblings. In my spare time, I enjoy being outdoors, spending time with my Shih-tzu and Dachshund (Lucky&Pookie) and eating chocolate. Currently, I will be a Junior at the University of Connecticut and am fully focused towards attaining a Pharm D/MD. My past experiences with humanitarian initiatives have stemmed from my of passion for learning and medicine. I am a Gates Millennium Scholar where I am a member of the Bill&Melinda Gates Foundation and use this as a resource to effectively build awareness of global health challenges. Presently, I am volunteer at a level 1 trauma center in Rhode Island Hospital's Emergency Department which allows me to receive direct exposure to patients in need of critical care. I decided to apply to Global HEED's Guatemala Initiative because as the daughter of first generation immigrants of Laos, the citizens of Calhuitz resemble my own family's past experience of living in remote areas where opportunities are limited. Along side my fellow interns, my goal is to help promote diversity and make a stride towards discovering, developing and delivering economic development. I am truly honored to represent UCONN and my hometown of Woonsocket and hope to be an inspiration to the younger generation of my community. I am looking forward to collaborating with students who share the same passion as me, interacting with the locals of Calhuitz and returning home with an unforgettable experience.

Lisha Wang
School: UC Berkeley, 3rd year
Hometown: China

My name is Lisha Wang, and I am currently a junior at UC Berkeley, majoring in Molecular Cell Biology with an emphasis in Cell and Developmental Biology. I was originally born in China, and I immigrated to the United States when I was ten years old, where I lived in Georgia for five years, Delaware for a year, and then finally California. Currently I work at a local high school, providing academic support to low income and underrepresented students, so that they can succeed in vigorous classes and have a better chance of getting into college. After graduation, I hope to teach either abroad or in the States in high risk communities, so that I can continue to promote social justice through promoting higher education as well as equality in education. In the mean time, I also volunteer at the Suitcase Clinic, a complete student and volunteer run organization that provides health and social services to members of the low-income and homeless community in Berkeley. Our philosophy is that healthcare should be made available to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. In my free time, I like to photograph. Fashion and portrait photography are two of my biggest interests. I want to volunteer in Guatemala to promote health and education. I strongly believe that education and healthcare should not only be available to the privileged. I want to join other volunteers and be part of this powerful force of human will that aims to spread education and healthcare to all corners of this earth.

Tim Wang
School: UC Berkeley, 3rd year
Hometown: San Bernardino, California

My name is Tim Wang and I am from San Bernardino, California. I currently am a 3rd year undergraduate at UC Berkeley majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology as well as intending to minor in Global Poverty and Practice. After graduating I hope to continue on to med school and receive my MD but I am still unsure as to what speciality or field I would want to pursue. Aside from academics, I also volunteer with the Suitcase Clinic, a student run weekly clinic that provides a broad range of social services to homeless individuals in the Berkeley community. I also work as a undergraduate researcher in a lab within the Integrative Biology department. In my free time I like to skateboard and make music! I applied to Global HEED because I am intrigued by its multi-faceted approach in addressing development. Through the program I hope to be able to make an impact in any way by promoting development or alleviating poverty in the village that we will be focusing on. I am very excited for this opportunity to go to Guatemala, and I hope to experience all that it has to offer!

Joseph Wong
School:University of Pennsylvania, 4th year
Hometown: New Jersey

My name is Joseph Wong, and I am from South Brunswick, NJ. I am a rising senior majoring in bioengineering with a minor in mathematics at UPenn. After graduating, I hope to attend medical school. I am not sure what field of medicine to pursue, although orthopedics seems like an interesting field. During the academic school year I conduct research in a microbiology lab at Penn and volunteer at a local hospice. I am also interested in music, and I sing a capella and play violin in my free time. I applied to the Global HEED program in hopes that I would make an impact on the world, even if only a little. I also hope to gain a broader perspective on the world, and make the most out of this experience.

Chris Wu
School: UC Berkeley, 3rd year
Hometown: Fayetteville, Arizona

I am Chris Wu, a third year Public Health major at UC Berkeley and I plan on pursuing a career in Public Health after finishing my education. I like to picture myself working out in the field, doing research, and tackling various health related holistically and without regards to borders. I was born in Arkansas, in a small town named Fayetteville and although I am now in California, I still embrace my humble upbringing and apply it to daily life. I am currently involved with the Suitcase Clinic here at Berkeley which is a student run program that provides basic health care, meals, and services to the homeless and low-income community in the surrounding area. I applied to this trip because I believe the chance to go to Guatemala will be a great eye-opening experience for me as a young student in the field of health. I am very excited with the prospect of having the opportunity to affect the lives of others in a positive and I expect this experience to be the first of many to come. My greatest hope is to be able to contribute to the collective goal of the group and to lend some of my passion to the cause. I am ready to do what it takes for the success of our trip and I hope to see the world in a different light after this experience.