Document Type

Article

Domestic/International

Domestic

Location

Hands On Peru, Huanchaco, Trujillo, Perú Yale West Campus, Orange, CT

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

Funding from the Hale Center for Career Development through Career Action Funding allowed me to volunteer internationally while gaining hands-on research experience at Yale in one summer. While my original intention behind applying for Career Action Funding was to work towards a medical assistant certification through the U.S. Career Institute, I decided that I was more eager to explore my curiosity about what it means to be an interculturally competent and socially engaged student in preparation for my summer internship in a Spanish-speaking country with the Toor Cummings Center for International Studies and the Liberal Arts (CISLA). I volunteered in Peru for one month with Hands On Peru, a nonprofit organization that provides accessible, affordable healthcare to vulnerable Peruvian citizens in Trujillo. Thanks to the Career Action Program, I took advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity while still securing a funded summer internship at Yale for the two months that followed. This paper reflects upon the experiences and lessons learned during my time in Peru and the fascinating research I worked on at Yale West Campus for a second consecutive year.

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The views expressed in this paper are solely those of the author.