LIVES

TOUCHED, HEARTS CHANGED, AND SERVICE RENDERED

September 5, 2016
Category: Service abroad

Andrea Fausett, a Nursing student at Southern Utah University, spent 10 days this summer
providing health care services to those in need in rural areas in the Dominican Republic. These
healthcare services included dental, pharmacy, prenatal, and anything and everything in
between.

Fausett went on this adventure with a few fellow nursing students and many Rural Health
Scholars students. Most of the people on the trip were pre-med, pre-dental, pre-pharmacy, or
nursing. This was an opportunity to experience a new culture and learn and practice skills that
will be utilized in their future careers and occupations in the medical field. While in the
Dominican, Fausett was able to go on home visits and visit many sickly people who were bed
bound, she was also able to take blood pressures, hand out prescriptions and antibiotics, teach
children how to brush their teeth, clean wounds, etc. Although all of these experiences were
very neat Fausett said that the best part was being able to get to know people of a different
culture and falling in love with their kindness and hospitality. Fausett stated that the Dominican
people were truly some of the sweetest people she has ever met in her life.

Fausett completed this project with the help and aid of SUUs edge program. This program is
designed to give students at Southern Utah University an edge on their resume, to help make
them more competitive for future job opportunities and to have some experience in their field
before graduating.

Fausett is truly grateful that she was able to have this experience while in college. She states
that it was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. Fausett will graduate this coming May
with her bachelors in Nursing and hopes to continue her career with a specialty in pediatric
oncology.