Pura Vida - Costa Rica Ambassador Intern

The Ambassador program immersed me for 3 months into the community of Alajuelita, Costa Rica, home to impoverished, medically underserved Nicaraguans and uninsured Costa Ricans. My daily responsibilities in the clinic included: checking in patients by recording medical history, height and weight, preparing medications in the pharmacy, shadowing the pediatrician Dr. Fernandez, and creating health education talks. Weekly, I also worked in a soup kitchen and disability clinic. Ambassadors also design and implement sustainable programs within the community. For my project, I taught a ballet class for girls aged 4-12 to encourage exercise, instill self-confidence, and create positive body image. Shadowing Dr. Fernandez this summer gave me the opportunity to witness her tireless dedication to serving this community and learn from her. Apart from my clinical duties, one of my favorite parts of the week were days I worked in the soup kitchen a tiny ill-equipped kitchen that feeds 200 kids a day. The local women that run it are some of the best examples of selflessness I have ever met. I also taught ballet class for 15 little girls. Watching them having fun, improving every week, and gaining confidence has been so fulfilling. Seeing their excitement to wear their new ballet slippers and having community members express appreciation for the classes, were some of the most rewarding parts of my summer. Overall, most important to me were the relationships I formed with the people I met. The Ambassadorship has allowed me to connect with the people and reach a level of acceptance within the community.