In the everyday life of a college student, it’s easy to get caught up in seemingly endless papers, tests and tailgates. Sometimes it doesn’t leave much time for deciding what really matters to you as a person. What do you love? What gives you a sense of accomplishment? What makes your life worth living?
It’s different for everyone. It’s up to you to look inside yourself for the answers.
I want to tell you about my own experiences with life’s crazy questions so maybe you’ll be convinced that you want to stat finding some answers, too.
The past two summers, I’ve travelled to El Salvador with a group of 13 other UNM students to do volunteer work. These students, members of the International Medical Delegation, are some of the most selfless and amazing people I’ve ever met.
IMD raises $30,000 every school year and flies to El Salvador at the beginning of the summer. They stay for about two and a half weeks.
Last year, IMD raised enough money to bring prescription medicines in a mobile pharmacy to five rural communities. Doctors from the capitol, San Salvador, came with us to see patients. Meanwhile, the group worked together to fill the prescriptions, tell community members how to take the medicine and keep the kids busy (probably the hardest part).
These medical delegation days were exhausting. But these days stick out in my mind as some of the most worthwhile days I’ve ever lived. That sounds dramatic, but I got to help other people and help myself at the same time, which truly changed my perspective on life.
I had time to think about what was important to me every night while our group traveled back to “Mama Sonia’s” house, where we stayed in San Salvador.
I realized that I wanted to read and write as my career for the rest of my life. I realized that some people back home I wanted to have in my life forever and others I didn’t. I honestly want other people to be able to realize these things, too.
In El Salvador, I saw things I never dreamed existed. People there live in houses built out of scrap metal with dirt floors. Many houses don’t have electricity. Water comes from wells contaminated with parasites. Many Salvadorans have endured a horrific history, including a 12-year civil war that ended in 1992. Despite these things, the people there have huge hearts. A lot of the work IMD does in those two weeks is focused on the kids of El Salvador, including the medical delegation days, painting murals and building schools.
As one of my IMD friends once said, “I’m going to El Salvador again this year. I just can’t turn my back on those kids.”
People need help, and IMD needs help, too. It needs volunteers.
If you are interested in seriously helping people, apply to be part of IMD. It’s a decision that you won’t regret.
