Serena Lee ‘18
Serena Lee ‘18
GAP YEAR: Unemployed in Los Angeles, CA, studying for the MCAT
Applying to clinically related jobs (ex. Clinical research assistant) for the gap year and eventually applying to medical schools
Field: Medicine and Public Health
The education I’ve received from the hands-on experience that Vassar Haiti Project gives is comparable to the education obtained in the classrooms at Vassar College. As a STEM major, VHP offered much of my outside education in the topics of cultural competency, global citizenship and sustainable development, all of which has shaped the way I view the world and prioritize my engagements. In addition, the practice of critically thinking and working through the complexities of development has taught me to be creative, patient and persistent.
The missional aspect of service and relationship was also a deep source of inspiration. The mutual understanding of wanting what was best for the village of Chermaitre encouraged me and other students to put aside personal desires for the sake of working towards the common goal and to cherish the joy that comes with working in a loving community. After witnessing the power of undeniable love and commitment between our Haitian partners and the co-founders of the project in one of my trips to Haiti, I realized that true self-less partnership is what allowed VHP to overcome the challenges of development and productively accomplish so much.
VHP has motivated me to go out into the world and replicate the ideas of sacrificial teamwork and thoughtful engagement. The lessons I've learned from VHP will undoubtedly help with my future work in my medical career whether I decide to stay in America that is ever growing in tensions and diversity, or dive into global nonprofit efforts. I'm looking forward to what God has in store in terms of my career and will never fail to look back to appreciate VHP's impact on my life.
