For the spring 2019 semester, Leilim Chang-Salazar was accepted to the Universidad Veritas in Costa Rica through the American Institute for Foreign Study as a study-abroad student representing Albertus Magnus College. While overseas, she currently is enrolled in classes ranging from Philosophy, to Spanish, to International Marketing.
“While in Costa Rica, I’ve volunteered at the children’s hospital twice a week. The experience is something that cannot even begin to describe in words.”
“I had to take care of children if their parents were absent. There were all kinds of patients; patients who needed surgery, cancer patients, chronic illnesses, and any other sickness that lead people to hospitals. As a health care management major, my adviser suggested it would be a good idea to get on-the-ground experience. Although sad, I learned a lot and appreciate my life a lot more now. Life is easier when you are not ill. One does not volunteer to change the world, one volunteers to change him/herself to then be the change.”
“As a freshman at Albertus, we did the Candlelight Ceremony, where we learned about the Four Pillars in the Dominican tradition. One of them was Service.”
“The Dominican Pillar of Service is about helping others, but it helps the individual as well. Helping at the hospital was bittersweet. It was sad seeing children in such conditions, but it’s opened my eyes and has made me grateful for the opportunities I have. It is something I will never forget and refer back to whenever I lose sight. The Pillars are something we sometimes have in our minds unconsciously, but should always put into play when given the chance.”
Leilim is a current junior at Albertus Magnus College majoring in Health Care Management. She plans to graduate in the Spring of 2020.
To view the full gallery of Leilim’s travel photos, click here.