Hi there! My name is Anna, and I am graduating this year from the University of Vermont with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and a minor in mathematics. This summer I will be traveling to Guatemala as part of the Engineering World Health 2022 Summer Institute Program, an opportunity I’ve been passionate about since I first became a UVM EWH member four years ago!

 

 

Engineering World Health is a non-profit dedicated to making outreach efforts to hospital systems in low-resourced countries. Their main goals are to increase patient safety and ensure positive outcomes. Over the course of the ten-week program, I will undergo a month-long extensive technical training and take Spanish classes. For the remainder of the program, I will be placed in a local hospital, where I will perform maintenance, testing, and repairs on medical equipment and devices that are out of service. This work is so important because approximately 70% of medical equipment is out of service in Guatemalan hospitals! For more information, follow the link to learn more about the Summer Institute in Guatemala: https://www.ewh.org/guatemala-si/

 

 

However, with any type of service opportunity, there does come a financial burden and I am hopeful that I will be able to raise enough money to make this experience possible! The program tuition covers the cost of valuable training and professional experience, as well as a culturally immersive homestay with a Guatemalan family! The cost of the training to prepare to work for the program and my room and board while volunteering will cost $8000. I am using $3500 of my own savings and have been offered financial assistance of $2000. I am hoping to raise $2500 to cover the remainder.  If I am lucky enough to fundraise more than my goal, I intend to donate the remainder to Engineering World Health.

The work being done in the hospital systems of low-resourced countries is very inspiring and I feel extremely fortunate to be able to be a part of that this summer in Guatemala. Thank you so much for supporting me in this opportunity and I look forward to getting started! Please feel free to follow along with me via my blog and share this link with others who may be interested in learning more!