At the start of my Vassar career, I had many different interests and felt as though they tugged me in different directions. I was passionate about community service. I loved to paint and make art. I was fascinated by the sciences and healthcare. Thankfully, I was introduced to VHP and learned about its innovative model. This organization showed me that art, community service, and health are not separate entities; rather, they can be brought together to contribute to positive and lasting change. Most importantly, I was grateful for the chance to learn, firsthand, how VHP made all this happen and to contribute to its many initiatives and operations.

Throughout my four years in VHP, I learned about running a nonprofit organization, planning fundraising events, and creating sustainable health initiatives. However, alongside these tactical skills, I learned incredible life lessons that continue to guide me in my career path. First, VHP fostered in me a fierce dedication to global health and a commitment to promoting quality healthcare in disadvantaged communities. Second, VHP taught me to think big and create fearlessly.  As a team, we were encouraged to come up with new projects and given the resources to bring them to fruition. Lastly, the work we did was always rooted in our core values - respect, integrity, and teamwork.

The chance to see how VHP brings together art, healthcare, and service and the chance to play an integral role in this organization allowed me to ascertain what my future goals are and set me on the path to reach them. Looking to the future, I aim to continue to create collaborative initiatives to fight against health inequality, and I can confidently state that I feel equipped with the skills to do so.

Vassar Haiti Project certainly provides a unique and meaningful experience for Vassar students, showing us all that it’s possible to make a positive difference in this world.