What motivated you to participate with the OKB Hope Foundation?

Over the summer, I felt lost in regard to my career path. I was debating a future in medicine, but it felt scary to commit, as I had no prior healthcare experience. In perfect timing, Cornell Tradition presented the OKB Hope Foundation winter intersession opportunity. Not only was I drawn to the experience because of the traveling aspect, but getting to explore what a future in healthcare meant while aiding underserved communities wasn’t something I could pass up. I knew that this would be the perfect time to test if medicine was something I felt passionate about, and even if by the end it wasn’t, serving the Hope Foundation wouldn’t be in vain. Providing aid to people in severe need is worth any time and distance.

What do you feel was the most meaningful or lasting impact this experience had on you?

Our work involved blood lab tests that I personally administered. I was most surprised about my own feelings, even when seeing positive results for life-changing illnesses. The relief that washes over when confirming a positive result was strange and felt conflicting. Of course, sickness shouldn’t be celebrated, but knowing the people were already affected prior to our outreach, it was relieving to provide life-saving preventative and medical care. The OKB Ghana Experience taught me just how satisfying medical care can be, especially when aiding underserved communities.

What skills did you develop or strengthen through this experience?

My time in Ghana helped strengthen my situational awareness and assertiveness. When setting up for the outreaches, over time the other volunteers and I learned to anticipate what help was needed before it was asked. While I had already developed this skill from past volunteering and jobs, it felt different when I needed to be proactive for medical care. I felt unqualified and was worried to mess things up, but I learned that there was still always something I could do. 

I also learned to become much more assertive. Ghanaian culture emphasizes bargaining when shopping, and markets are much livelier, with direct shouts and persistence from shop vendors. Over a few market visits, I learned how to properly put my foot down when vendors would insist on my attention. Near the end of the trip, a seller even complimented me and gave me a high five because of how well I handled his persistence! This experience only strengthened my love for volunteering, combined with my volunteering through Cornell Tradition Fellowship and the Tri Delta St. Jude philanthropy, every new role encourages a future filled with volunteer work.