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April!

I cannot believe this is our last blog post! This year has really flown by. It is hard to believe how much I have learned and experienced during this past year. New Orleans is definitely one of a kind and I am so happy I was able to experience this amazing city. Although one year is not a long period of time, I feel very connected and involved in New Orleans. Throughout this semester I had the opportunity to get involved in a really amazing organization, the Covenant House. I am so impressed by the work that they do for the youth in our community and I am lucky to have been involved. I have formed amazing relationships with staff and residents and hope to continue with them as long as I am in New Orleans. Over the past few months, I have worked with Covenant House staff to aid residents in any way that I can. From helping with homework, to being a listening ear or  even childcare while the mothers have time get other things done, I hope I was able to make an impact on their lives. I k
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March!

It is really hard to believe March is coming to an end! With only one month of class left, we are almost ready to graduate! This is so exciting and frightening at the same time. I am excited for whats to come, but transitions are always a little bit nerve-wrecking. But for now I still get to enjoy New Orleans. I have continued my weekly volunteering at the Covenant House with Reeya. We are really starting to form relationships with the residents and staff. Every week it seems as though the women await our arrival, so we can watch their kids for a little while they can get some personal tasks done. It is such a joy spending time with all the little ones. They are so full of energy and happiness. I also really enjoy doing an intake for new residents because you get to be a friendly face to someone during a difficult transition in their life. Every week our time at the Covenant House is powerful reminder of how many obstacles some people have to face. It is so important that we strive t
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February!

Finally... warm weather again! I am definitely loving these 80 degree February afternoons. For such a short month, February has sure been eventful! We had our last Med Pharm exam, we started preparing for the NMBE Medical Pharmacology exam, I had some visitors for Mardi Gras and of course, continued volunteering at the Covenant House. Reeya and I were asked to move our volunteering to Wednesday's, when the women's floor is short staffed. This change has made volunteering even more fun because we both get to work on the women's floor together. It is also a different dynamic because we spend more time with residents and are able to get to know them a little better. I cannot reiterate enough how rewarding and humbling this experience has been so far. It is difficult to see how much suffering these individuals have been through, but inspiring to see how much resilience people have. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to get to know everyone at the Covenant House and be
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January!

January marks the beginning of our final semester! It's hard to believe we are here already! Its exciting to be back in New Orleans and getting involved in the community again. First, I was able to volunteer at the Saint's game selling raffle tickets for the 50/50 raffle: 50% of the proceeds made go to charity! It is such a great idea and raised over $100,000! Secondly, I have started my weekly volunteering at the Covenant House. The Covenant House is such an incredible foundation that strives to give youth in the community a safe place to stay. Youth in the community can come and stay in the shelter and focus on attending school or getting a job, or both. Knowing you have a roof over their head allows the residents to focus on other needs. The residents can work there way up through the system, to eventually get to a place where they are financially stable and able to afford a place on their own. Covenant House has connections with employers to aid the residence in finding job
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December!

It's hard to believe the first semester is almost over! I had two more community service events in December! I did a habitat for humanity build day and also went to an open garden day! I have really enjoyed being able to get involved in the community with my classmates! It has definitely been a great bonding experience! December Hours: 11 Total Hours: 32
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November!

Yet again, another month flew by. It is hard to believe it is almost December already, especially because it is mostly sunny and 70 degrees! We are rapidly approaching the end of our first semester with just one exam left and I am really looking forward to the Brain and Behavior Block. I participated in two volunteering events this month. First, I volunteered with some classmates at Uncork the Cure: a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We spent a majority of the evening serving food to the guests. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is a really incredible foundation that donates money to Cystic Fibrosis research, donates to help pay for Cystic Fibrosis treatment for patients and tries to educate patients, their families and the community about Cystic Fibrosis. I also spent a morning at the edible school yard moving mulch and gardening. It was a great way to give back and a fun learning experience as well. I am really lucky to have been involved a variety of different volunteer exp
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October!

I am not sure if its New Orleans or this program but time sure does seem to be flying by! We are rapidly approaching our Neoplasia and GI block exam and it is hard to believe this will mark the completion of five blocks already. October offered even more exploration of New Orleans! I was finally able to experience my first food festival and it was definitely something special. I volunteered with some classmates at the first annual Mac N Cheese festival. We spent most of our time selling food and drinks to festival-goers, but we were able to get our taste of Mac N Cheese in as well. It was an awesome experience, delicious food and a portion of the proceeds went to a few great causes including the Tres Doux Foundation, the Mary Parker Outreach Program and more! The Tres Doux Foundation focusing on embracing and enhancing the lives of children with developmental disabilities and the Mary Parker Outreach Program is a non-profit to organization focused on providing stable solutions to indi
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