Reem is a former ASUCD senator and a senior at UC Davis double majoring in International Relations and Economics, with a minor in Human Rights.
She has coordinated a campus-wide CPR Training Event for students in partnership with the UC Davis Wears Red Campaign and the UCD Battle Heart Disease Fair. The campaign is an annual tradition of the chancellor and the chancellor’s committee of events and ceremonies. The fair has lots of resources of heart-healthy activities and facts including CPR Training, Zumba, and an anatomical heart that you can walk through. Students can come and talk to representatives from various medical associations and clubs promoting awareness of healthy hearts and lifestyles. The purpose of these events is to spread awareness of cardiac health.
Reem had always wanted to stage a CPR training event on the UC Davis campus. She decided to join forces with the campaign due to their mutual concerns for heart health. The CPR event will be student run, and will remain so in the coming years. Reem is currently working to make the CPR training an annual event.
Reem’s reasons for coordinating this event are personal in nature. She told Her Campus UCD “In my senior year of high school, my classmate, who I had many classes with, passed away unexpectedly of a heart attack. The image of his empty seat stuck in my head for a while.” David was a healthy student who died unexpectedly at just 17. Those surrounding him did not know CPR. Reem said, “This motivated me to get people educated about CPR to save someone or do their best to save someone. When I was on Senate I had the ability to do something campus-wide with the help of administration, for David and in honor of David. Everything about this is so people can help, to educate as many students as possible in how to save a life.” The event reminded her that no one is immune to health issues. No one is too young, or too healthy to experience heart health problems. She said “The aftermath and the grief were too awful, and I wanted to prevent that.”
The CPR Training will take place on Friday, February 5th, 2016 from 10am to 2pm. Reem wanted the event to be free, saying “Anyone can do it. Sessions are only 30 minutes. If you are free, you should come. The event doesn’t restrict anyone due to time or money”. Students can receive AED (Automated External Defibrillator) training, hand-over-hand compression training, and gain the confidence in knowing that they can help to save a life. The training does not serve as a certification but resources will be available if students are interested in earning a CPR certification according to AHA (American Heart Association) guidelines. Attending the fair can give students very valuable information about how to save a life and how to have a healthy heart. Reem hopes to make a difference in honor of her classmate in educating the students of the UC Davis campus.