Gunston students Colin Hallmark ’24, Liam Dickey ’24, Ava Runz ’24, and Alivia Runz ’25 spent 10 days volunteering in Costa Rica through the Travel for Teens’s Costa Rica Healthcare Education & Medical Outreach Program. Together, they worked alongside trained medical professionals earning community service hours and building their skills in a real clinical setting, serving underprivileged communities through extensive community outreach efforts and health education programs. 

“Some things we did around the clinic were help fill out prescriptions and deliver them to patients, sit in the exam room and have the chance to see the doctor communicate with patients in Spanish, as well as take vitals for patients in the waiting room and teach them the importance of clean water in their homes,” explained Ava Runz. “The clinic would visit some small organizations, such as a women's group and a group called “Casa Club” (a group intellectual disabilities), where we would make presentations and do fun activities to teach them about general hygiene and health.”

As a whole, the group of students had a shared interest in the medical field or were trying to decide if that was an opportunity they wanted to explore as a potential career path and this trip provided a great opportunity for not only hands-on experience, but the chance to give back to a community in need.