Service

I began serving others as a volunteer in both the emergency and cardiorespiratory departments of Pomona Valley Hospital (Pomona, CA) during my undergraduate years. As a volunteer, I assisted patients, doctors, and nurses by restocking supplies, making beds, sanitizing patient rooms, assisting with triage, and ensuring that each patient was comfortable and well attended. In the cardiorespiratory department, I accompanied patients throughout the department, organized patient files, and ensured that patient scheduling was accurate. Volunteering at Pomona Valley hospital left a profound impact on me, and eventually led to my position at Stanford's CT Surgery Department.

While pursuing my master’s degree in medical humanities at the University of Rochester, I participated in Street Outreach (the medical school’s homeless outreach student organization). I distributed provisions, checked blood pressures, and discussed health concerns with residents of House of Mercy and Peace Village (a homeless encampment). Serving the homeless enlightened me to the degree of inaccessibility to proper medical care and nutrition for these individuals. This work culminated in my master's capstone project which aimed to determine how social and physical environments affect conceptions of home.

After graduating from the University of Rochester, I moved to Washington, DC and began volunteering at Street Sense Media (SSM)—a non-profit organization that publishes a newspaper on housing and the homeless population. Through this organization, homeless individuals gain income for selling the paper and publishing articles, poems, and artwork in each weekly issue. Additionally, SSM offers several skill-building workshops and case management services to support these individuals. I volunteer at SSM because I believe their mission to empower homeless individuals through work and personal growth brings a sense of dignity to those in this vulnerable population. My official duties are to run the paper sales and payment desks, but I also spend much of my time there building connections and community within the organization.

In addition to Street Sense Media, I occasionally join runs with Back on My Feet. This organization builds community around a common passion for running and supports homeless individuals to become independent by gaining employment and housing.