Send Astrid to Guatemala

Hello Everyone!

My name is Astrid Quirarte, and I am a junior in the QUEST Academy at Millikan High School. QUEST is a gifted and talented magnet program, which typically draws 1000 applications from qualified eighth grade students throughout Long Beach for 200 spots. To graduate with the academy, every senior must engage in a yearlong project of their choice involving research and a physical product. As my physical product, I will be traveling to Guatemala through an organization called Mending Kids, which provides surgical care to children worldwide who may not have access to medical care. Guatemala has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the Central America region, and with 56.2% of the population living below the poverty line, very few have access to healthcare. I will be able to witness ear, nose, and throat surgeries in the operating room and engage with patients and their families, experiences typically reserved for medical students. I’ve done everything in my power in the classroom to prepare for a career in surgical medicine, from taking AP Biology, AP Spanish Language and Literature,  AP Chemistry,  Anatomy and Physiology, and maintaining a 4.67 GPA. However, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that can enrich my education through hands-on application of scientific concepts I have learned in the classroom. All donations will be used to cover the cost of the trip. I am very thankful for every dollar donated, because it is through your generosity that my dreams are becoming a reality.  

 

Thank you again for your valuable support and time for it is greatly appreciated! Please enjoy the pictures from last year's mission trip, which had 102 ENT surgeries performed in a week!

 

Astrid A. Quirarte