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Hannah Hudson
Hannah is a junior Biol-
ogy, Pre-Medicine major from
Hoover, Alabama.
This past year, she contracted
an independent-study Rise3 in-
ternship where she volunteered
at a Salvation Army hospital
in Bolivia for six weeks during
E-term. Hannah was awarded
the Dr. Neal Berte Koinonia
Scholarship, which is given
to one student whose project
emphasizes service-learning.
This paper, titled “Beyond Bor-
ders: Exploring Bolivia through
Medical Volunteer Work and
Cultural Immersion,” is a
reflection on her time spent in
Bolivia.
In the future, Hannah hopes
to continue to dedicate herself
to her two passions: travel and
service.
Beyond Borders: Exploring Bolivia through Medical
Volunteer Work and Cultural Immersion
Hannah Hudson
On December 20th, 2015, I embarked on the most impactful adven-
ture of my life. For 38 days, I called Cochabamba, Bolivia, my home,
my entire world. There, I volunteered at Harry William’s Salvation Army
Hospital observing the practice of medicine in an international setting.
Embarking on this journey was harder than I could have ever imagined.
In an instant, I found myself dropped into an entirely unfamiliar world,
surrounded by new cultures and unknown people. I was pushed out of
my comfort zone and forced to adjust to the unfamiliarity. I found that
the deeper I dug into my new world, the easier it was to keep my head
up. Not only did I develop a deeper understanding of the world around
me and my desire to pursue international medicine, but I discovered
within myself that I am stronger than I thought, braver than I once be-
lieved, and more determined than ever to take on the world.
Since the summer of 2010, I have been captivated by the idea of
international service. During one week in June, I encountered this idea
first-hand through a poverty simulation camp in rural Alabama. I was
assigned to live, work, and, ultimately, survive as a resident of impover-
ished rural Bolivia. Along with my “family” (other teenage volunteers),
I had to buy and sell food with Bolivianos (Bolivian currency), build a
fire to cook rice and beans, and sleep in a traditional house built of mud
and sticks. I was over 3,700 miles away from Bolivia, yet it felt as if I had
been transported to the country itself. Although this experience lasted
only 3 days, the impact would stay with me for a lifetime. From that
day on, I vowed to “return” to the place that so deeply held my heart,
Bolivia.
As I have learned far too well from this internship, opportunities
never simply arise; they are made. They are crafted by hours of work,
back-breaking dedication, and the unfailing desire to accomplish a goal.
I built my opportunity from the ground up, working with an organiza-
tion called ProjectsAbroad. The hard work that went into making this
trip made it even more rewarding. Although I spent months planning for
and thinking about my trip, nothing could have pre-pared me for what it
would be like when I finally arrived.
The moment I stepped through the security checkpoint gates at
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International airport, I was alone. A sinking
feeling drifted across me and made me question if this was the right de-
cision. To leave my family, my friends, mere days before Christmas. Are
you sure you still want to do this? You can always turn back. I muffled
the doubtful voice in my head with music radiating from my earbuds.
I took one last look at what I knew would be the last familiar thing I
would see for six weeks. My mom. She stood there, so incredibly proud
of me, yet crippled by the distance that would soon come between us. I
waved good-bye, took a deep breath, and set off.
Over 24 hours passed before I walked off the plane to my new home.
Outside of the gates, a man was holding a sign that read, “Project-
sAbroad.” I walked over to introduce myself.
“Hello, you Hannah?” He murmured in broken English.
“Hi, yes, I am.” I answered in an attempt to speak only simple words
so I would be sure he could understand me.
“Hi, I’m Freddy.”
I smiled back at him. My swollen, tired eyes scanned his face. Dark
hair, yellowed smile, eyes so thin and wrinkled they were barely visible.
“How is your Spanish?” He asked as if begging for permission to be
relived from speaking in English.