Public Health – Haiti Group 2013

September 15, 2013

Greetings from Baltimore! We are the eight Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing students traveling to Jérémie, Haiti for the international public health rotation. We all chose this option because we have an interest in public health issues in a global setting.  We will primarily be focusing on water and sanitation teaching, but also learning about the health challenges of the area, the culture and what public health looks like in a low resource setting.  Below you’ll find more information about each of us!

Amy LeBailly-  I’m from Evanston, Illinois and I’ll be going on the trip to Haiti. Growing up in my community there was a sizeable Haitian population, and in college my love of international travel blossomed. I’m excited to go to Haiti and for you to follow our adventures!

Heather Holloway–  I’m from Sherman, Texas and I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo, West Africa in 2008-2010. I worked in community health and that experience is what ultimately inspired me to go to nursing school. I was in Haiti in July 2011 volunteering with a clinic near Port-au-Prince and I loved it. I am thrilled to be going back.

Megan Armbruster-  I am from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I am very excited to be going to Haiti for our public health rotation.  As an undergraduate at NYU, I worked for a Haitian organization in Brooklyn as an ESL teacher, and also did community health work.  I loved the experience, and it was actually what led me to pursue a career in nursing and community health.

Nicolette Guerrero –   I’m from Gainesville, Florida and had studied health education and behavior there. My passion is in health prevention especially in rural areas, which is why I chose to pursue nursing to gain the clinical aspect. Going to Haiti has always been a dream of mine and I am excited to finally go and help out with this ongoing project.

Caitlin Dreisbach-  Hello, friends! I hail from the great state of New York (closer to Canada than The Big Apple). After studying international health in undergrad at Cornell, I realized I had yet to implement a hands-on public health project. When the opportunity to travel to Haiti to educate community health workers on water and sanitation I was sold!

Emily Hull –  Hello! I am originally from Cooperstown, NY but spent many years living in Boston.  My first bachelor’s degree is in International Business and Marketing. I decided to come to JHU nursing school after working for a diabetes clinic in Boston.  I chose to travel to Haiti to gain international healthcare experience and help to educate the community of  Jérémie about clean water and sanitation.

Emily DeVan – Greetings!  I have moved around a lot but North Carolina is my home base now and where I want to live and work after graduation.  I earned a degree in English Literature and worked in restaurants and as a nanny before deciding to pursue a career in nursing.  I am very excited to go to Haiti—it will be my first trip to a developing country and I am anticipating a very humbling experience.

Tristin Hutchinson–  Hello all! I was born and raised in Voluntown, a small town in southeast Connecticut. I studied Biology at the University of Connecticut (Go Huskies!) I have always had a passion for healthcare, which was what brought me to Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing! I have always wanted travel internationally and when the chance to do my Public Health Clinical rotation in Haiti became an option I jumped on the opportunity!

Stay tuned for more details of our trip!  We leave for Haiti September 26 and will return on October 5!