Emily Johnson and Lauren Yoon have decided to skip relaxing on their spring break this school year. Instead, they will try to make their mark on the world.
This fall, human biology seniors Johnson and Yoon started a student group called Global Medical Brigades — an MSU chapter of the international nonprofit organization Global Brigades, which sends student groups to set up temporary aid clinics in Panama, Honduras and Ghana.
“Our mission is to help develop the countries (and) address central health issues but also to empower the students.,” said Michelle Menclewicz, Global Brigades director of student affairs.
The MSU club will work to take a group of students to rural Honduras, where medical supplies are limited, to set up a weeklong medical clinic.
“It’s a good way to practice medicine because it’s very hands-on,” Yoon said.
During summer 2010, Johnson spent a month in Honduras shadowing a medical student. Seeing firsthand the poor conditions in that country inspired her to make a difference, she said.
When she arrived back at MSU, Johnson heard about Global Brigades and decided she wanted to start a chapter at MSU.
“It was a perfect fit for what I wanted to do,” Johnson said.
Johnson and Yoon first tried to start the club in January but failed to attract enough interested students.
Unable to travel with an MSU student group, the two decided to go to Honduras with students from Duke University this past summer and worked to help more than 800 patients during a period of three days.
“You don’t realize how much you have until you see how much the people down there don’t have,” Yoon said.
Johnson said the price of this year’s trip will be offset by donations. The club, which meets at 6:30 p.m. Mondays in the Natural Science Building, will conduct various fundraising projects throughout the year.
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