undergraduate students
Meaghan Bradley
I am from Wellesley, Ma and I am a senior in the Connell School of Nursing. Although I have always been interested in international development, nursing school has allowed me to seek various opportunities that have influenced my goals for the future. During the past two summers, I have spent time in Tanzania volunteering at an orphanage that runs a variety of medical outreaches. I am really looking forward to the trip to Nicaragua. The opportunities to learn about the social situation in Nicaragua, increase my knowledge of Spanish, and work in a local clinic are all very exciting. Being able to compare the health care system in America with Nicaragua will be both interesting and enlightening. After college, I hope to use my experience to continue working with developing countries, foster knowledge of health, and eventually work to improve the healthcare system in these nations.
Jamie Buller
I am so excited to be a part of the team of nurses going down to Nicaragua in March. As a senior, throughout my time here at BC, I have developed a true passion for social justice. In the past I have participated in service trips through Campus Ministry, going to Jamaica and various areas in the Appalachian region, however, none of these trips implemented my love for nursing and community health with the services we provided to the poor and marginalized. This past summer, after studying abroad in Spain my junior year, I worked as part of a healthcare team that served Haitian refugees in the Dominican Republic. After this experience, I knew that this was the type of work truly combined all of my interests. The CSON global health initiative is a perfect embodiment of all of these ideals, and I am eager to serve the Nicaraguan people and learn more about their culture.
Kristin Ferguson
My name is Kristin Ferguson and I am a senior in the Connell School of Nursing. When not at Boston College, my home is in the Washington, DC area although I moved around a lot when I was younger due to my father being in the military. I grew up in Louisiana, Texas, Hawaii, Florida, and Berlin, Germany. Because I grew up surrounded by many different kinds of people, I highly value learning about other cultures and experiencing different ways of living, which is why I became so interested in this Global Health Initiative program to Nicaragua. While at BC I have participated in other nursing programs by being an Undergraduate Research Fellow and also president of the Boston College Student Nurses Association. I also studied abroad spring semester of my junior year in Glasgow, Scotland. I plan to go into oncology nursing when I graduate and participate in organizations like Doctors Without Borders. I hope to someday obtain a graduate degree in either community health nursing or international refugee nursing. I am very much looking forward to the nursing trip to Nicaragua and the experiences of meeting new people, learning from them, and practicing my Spanish.
Elizabeth Goguen
My name is Elizabeth and I’m a senior in the undergraduate nursing program at BC. I am from Hadley, MA and am the youngest of three children. I was lucky enough to spend my spring semester of junior year abroad in Spain. While there, I really came to appreciate and love the Spanish language as well as the experiences gained from immersing myself in another culture. When I heard about this trip to Nicaragua with the School of Nursing, I could not wait to be a part of it. Working at the Nueva Vida clinic, together with the Nicaraguan people, will be an amazing experience for us, as the participants, but hopefully also for the people in the community. Although we will be teaching them the things that we know as nursing students, I’m sure we will learn an immense amount from them as well. This combination of nursing practice with cultural immersion and Spanish language practice is an experience that I hope to extend throughout my entire nursing career, starting with this incredible trip!
Molly Keefe
Molly Keefe is a senior at Boston College majoring in nursing and minoring in philosophy. She hails from Sherborn, Massachusetts and is the eighth of eleven children. Last summer, Molly worked in the emergency department at Massachusetts General Hospital as a nursing assistant. She anticipates a clinical placement in a pediatric intensive care unit next semester as a move in the right direction as she would ultimately like to work with a pediatric population in a chronic care setting. Molly is grateful for the opportunity CSON has afforded her to be more involved in the healthcare field. During her time at BC, she was able to take part in the research fellowship program, working closely with professors in the department. In May 2009, she and two fellow students will have the opportunity to represent the school of nursing and assist the infirm on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. Molly looks forward to working, serving, and learning with Global Health Initiative and her fellow students in Nicaragua this spring break.
Christine Shaughnessy
Hometown: Hanover, MA
Although I am interested in many aspects and fields of nursing, my interests lie primarily in oncology nursing. I have worked on the medical oncology and bone marrow transplant unit at Massachusetts General Hospital for two years as a nursing assistant. My work there as been incredibly meaningful and has ensured me that I have chosen the right path with nursing. I have also enjoyed working in the Dominican Republic for the last five summers with a volunteer medical and nursing team. The team travels to rural villages and hosts health clinics for impoverished Haitian refugees. I am very grateful for the many times that I have been able to travel and volunteer abroad, and once again, I am looking forward to what will hopefully be another great experience in a new part of Latin America! I am very excited to learn from this experience in Nicaragua by becoming more culturally competent, by improving my nursing skills, and by advancing my ability to educate and communicate in Spanish.
Brittney Sullivan
I am from Ipswich, MA, and currently am a senior at Boston College. I feel blessed to have been able to experience so many great opportunities while at BC. My classroom and clinical experiences in Boston have been fundamental in encouraging my interest in global health. BC’s Jesuit motto of “men and women for others” has inspired me to find my passions in life and to seek opportunities to better myself and others. Last year I led a service-immersion trip to Honduras, and this year I have the honor of being a Director for the group. This will be my third time to Honduras to work with a community building houses, working with an orphanage, and visiting a malnutrition clinic for infants and toddlers. Last spring I studied abroad in Grahamstown, South Africa and was able to volunteer at Settlers Hospital. I look forward to the invaluable skills I will gain from the Global Health Initiative program. I am thrilled to be going to Nicaragua with such a fantastic group and eagerly anticipate putting my nursing skills to use in Nicaragua. I am also an undergraduate research fellow with Judith Vessey and plan to enroll in BC’s 5th Year Master’s program in Pediatrics where I hope to further my professional career and personal growth.
Alice Yuan
As a nursing student in my last semester of the undergraduate program, I'm excited to be a part of BC’s Global Health Initiative. Previously I participated in an immersion experience in Belize and a semester-long study abroad program in El Salvador. Both experiences were unforgettable and emotionally intensive, and have shown me what it truly means to share common experiences together. I'm continually inspired by the spirit and sense of community of those who have limited resources. After graduating, I hope to continue addressing the many and growing disparities in health care and its access. I’m looking forward to continue developing Spanish language skills during our time in Nicaragua, especially in a medical context. Being able to communicate on a deeper level with Spanish-speaking populations is such a valuable skill to have. And finally, I’m excited by the prospect of seeing the group grow and deepening our understandings of socioeconomic justice.
graduate students
Erika Almquist
My name is Erika Almquist, I am a Master's Entry advanced practice nursing student who will complete my studies this May, 2009 when I receive a Master's in Nursing and am certified as a family nurse practitioner. I’m originally from Lexington, MA and I went to Allegheny College in Meadville, PA for my undergraduate studies where I majored in Neuroscience and minored in Spanish. Over the years I have had various opportunities to volunteer, from helping the homeless in Boston, to building homes and providing a caring heart to orphans in Honduras and El Salvador, to a medical internship in Mexico, and most recently helping out with a community health screening in Mattapan.
For the past two and a half years, I have been developing my gifts to care, listen, and heal through nursing. Along with my graduate studies, I have been working as a nurse at Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center (JMSCHC), a community health center, where the culture and predominate language spoken are highly influenced by a large Hispanic patient and staff population. This has allowed me to immerse myself in a culture that I have grown to love through my various trips to Central America and has allowed me the opportunity to improve my Spanish communication skills. I hope that my participation in the Nicaragua clinical experience will serve to increase my clinical skills with underserved populations and reinforce my nursing knowledge of working with Hispanic populations. While working on a team with other Boston College nursing students and faculty, I also hope to promote the importance of health care and health education, and distribute medical supplies with the goal of making health care more available to the Nicaraguan community that we will be working with.
Meghan Fay
Meghan Fay is a graduate student in the pediatric track of the master's entry program. Before coming to nursing she earned her BA in Child Development at Tufts University and worked in child advocacy and child abuse prevention. She has had the opportunity to travel throughout Europe, Africa and Central America and hopes to work abroad in underserved areas after obtaining her Masters degree. In the past Meghan has participated in service trips to Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala however this will be her first chance to bring her nursing knowledge to another country. Meghan is excited to be able to simultaneously improve her clinical skills, be immersed in a new culture and have the chance to serve others. She is particularly intrigued by Nicaragua as she often gets to hear news of its vibrant life and warm people from her brother who is currently stationed there with the Peace Corps.
Ayelet Nelson
My name is Ayelet Nelson and I am originally from the New Jersey/New York area. I am in the Master’s Entry Program at Boston College with a specialty in Adult health and a subspecialty in Oncology. Prior to moving to Boston and coming to nursing school, I worked at Columbia University Medical Center with oncology patients from various backgrounds, including Central America. I also had the opportunity after my work at Columbia, as a social worker to work with clients from a variety of backgrounds and always wanted to experience firsthand the culture and environment they described in rich detail. It is my goal in my career to incorporate an understanding of global health and social issues into my practice. It is my hope that this trip will strengthen my nursing skills and language skills, while opening my eyes to a world unlike the one I am used to. I hope to learn about the Nicaraguan culture, beliefs and way of life as I give back to them through nursing care. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity be able to be a part of this trip.