Hometown: Newport, NH
Grade: Senior
Dream Job: Family Nurse Practitioner
Involvement on campus: Golden Key International Honor Society, Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-health Professional Honor Society, Project Sunshine, Eating Concerns Mentor
Hoco or Philly? Hoco
Homecoming or Cinco? This was quite a debate… I’ll say Cinco!
Dimond or Paul? Dimond
DHOP, Dominos, or Papa Johns? DHOP
Scorps or Libbys? Libbys
Football or Hockey? Football for sure!
How did you become involved in Medical Brigades? I found it on wildcat link and became very interested because I was looking for a way to give back and broaden my understanding of healthcare and lack-thereof in other countries!
If you had a potential new member, what would you say to convince them to join? I would tell them that it was BY FAR the most meaningful experience I’ve ever had in my entire life, and it truly touches your heart in ways you wouldn’t even expect. It’s so eye opening to see just how lucky we are to have access to advanced healthcare, and to see how grateful these people are for the smallest amount of service we provide to them.
What is your best memory so far or being a part of Medical Brigades? I absolutely loved coloring and playing with the kids in charla. Even with the huge language barrier, they were so happy to just sit with me and their smiles literally melted my heart.
What are you looking forward to next semester in the organization? I’m looking forward to leading our brigade and showing our members just how special this trip will be! I’m also looking forward to seeing the community member’s smiling faces when we show up and throughout the week –just that alone makes it worth every second.
Araya Lacy
Hometown: Hanover, NH
Grade: Junior
Major: Neuroscience
Dream Job: Pediatrician
Campus Involvement: Global Brigades, Neuroscience research
Hoco or Philly? Philly
Homecoming or Cinco? Homecoming
Dimond or Paul? Dimond
DHOP, Dominos, or Papa Johns? DHOP
Scorps or Libbys? Libbys
Football or Hockey? Football
How did you become involved in Medical Brigades? My freshman year I was paired with an honors peer mentor to help me transition into college. She was leading a brigade and said I could come to a meeting. They had spots left on the brigade. I decided to join and had such an amazing experience. I keep coming back.
If you had a potential new member, what would you say to convince them to join? I tell new members how eye-opening this experience is. For many people, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to see how basic healthcare can drastically improve someone’s life. It’s something that most of us take for granted, while the communities we see are so incredibly grateful for our help. While the cost can deter a lot of people, the experience stays with you and is 100% worth it!
What is your best memory so far or being a part of Medical Brigades? My favorite memory from the brigades is always our last day in the community. After working hard all week and forming relationships with the community members, we get to thank the volunteers for welcoming us into the community. Everyone is so grateful to have us. It’s bittersweet. We know we’ve made a huge impact on their lives, but it’s heartbreaking that we won’t see most of these people again. I cry every time.
What are you looking forward to next semester in the organization? I’m looking forward to showing our new members how amazing this experience is. At the end of every day, we have a reflection and it’s always really exciting to hear about the new members’ days — the things that surprised them, people they met, the things they learned. It’s exciting for me to see other people becoming passionate about the brigade.