My experiences in Southeast Alaska have been more than I could have imagined. Reflecting on my journey, there were so many people I met and amazing places I visited that I will never forget. This was truly a once in a lifetime experience and I highly recommend it for future years. One of my favorite experiences was being able to visit two native villages: Hoonah (Population: 700) and Angoon (Population: 500). In these villages, the Public Health Nurse and I offered health awareness classes to all ages and met the medical staff who are so important to these cultures. We even got the chance to get the community on their feet and leave a smile on their faces for a few days with multiple Salsa and Zumba lessons/socials. It was an amazing resource to work with the brave staff that understood the community as it is well-known that building trust in native populations can be a great challenge in your success as health care providers. Everyone I met was very welcoming and I felt that I had accomplished my goal in many of the communities visited.
Aside from visiting rural villages, as my grand project, I was able to implement and jumpstart an exercise program with a local youth center in a low-income housing area. This program is meant to focus on leadership and teamwork skills as these are two qualities that can be very valuable in the children's future. I was extremely glad to see the participation increase rapidly during each visit both by the young students and adult leaders. This is a program meant to last for years to come, therefore I am excited to keep updated on the progress and future achievements.
I feel honored to be able to have an experience like this in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. Alaska has treated me well and has left me with amazing stories I will be able to share to future generations to come.
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