Three Unique Experiences, One Great Summer to Remember
9/2/2009 5:38:05 PM | General, Women's Basketball
Gavin McFarlin- Assistant SID
DAVIDSON, N.C. — This summer three Davidson women's basketball players used their “time off” in a very unique way as they had an opportunity to visit other countries and study aboard.
Senior Julia Paquette (Stockbridge, Ga.) and juniors Ashley Lax (Little Rock, Ark.) and Kelly Gardner (Indianapolis, Ind.) spent their summer in distant countries learning, teaching and enjoying the wonderful experiences they were able to take part in.
Paquette and Gardner spent time in Kenya and Zambia, furthering their career paths and understanding the medical field, while Lax toured with the Athletes in Action, a branch of Campus Crusade for Christ.
Below the three student-athletes' discuss their experiences and what they gained from their summer ventures…
Julia Paquette, Sr., majoring in Chemistry
“I spent three weeks in Nairobi, Kenya with seven pre-med students and the director of medical humanities, Dr. Jeremiah Putnam.
As a pre-dental student, my focus was on the oral health of Kenyans. I did spend one day in the maternity ward and one day in general surgery, but the majority of my time was spent in the Kikuyu Dental Clinic, located just outside of Nairobi.
I came to know the staff of the dental clinic very well and learned much about Kenyan culture through my interactions with them. Kenya differs from many African nations in that it is an emerging country, rather than a third world country. The Kenyan economy is still in developing stages, but Kenyan people are relatively well-educated. I learned a few Swahili phrases, but, since business is mostly conducted in English, I was able to freely converse with the patients and staff. Rural inhabitants of the country typically speak Swahili in addition to their tribal language, so I needed translation when these patients entered the clinic.
The staff of the dental clinic was very welcoming, allowing me to join in for routine procedures. This sort of hands-on experience sparked an interest, which will remain with me through dental school and into my career as a dentist.
As an emerging nation, Kenya's water supply lacks careful regulation. Consequently, the drinking water has irregular levels of fluoride, especially in the volcanic rift valley region. During ordontogenesis, excess fluoride ions replace hydroxide ions in the hydroxyapatite of the enamel, resulting in a condition known as fluorosis.
While in Kenya, I heavily researched the impact of the water supply on teeth. Rural inhabitants had noticeable brown stains on their teeth, a direct result of moderate to severe fluorosis, while city-dwellers (with much healthier water supplies) may have only shown a few white flecks. Interestingly, high fluoride concentrations also contribute to the strength of teeth, allowing large cavities to develop without breaking the tooth structure.
These were just a few of the interesting discoveries I encountered while in Kenya. I was able to witness the need for better dental care in a foreign land, allowing me to bring home a sense of appreciation for American dental care. Along with this appreciation came a desire to improve oral health conditions both abroad and at home.”
Ashley Lax, Jr., majoring in Sociology
“I went to Brazil this summer from June 4th- June 23rd with the organization Athletes in Action, which is a branch of Campus Crusade for Christ. We traveled to Nova Odessa, Brazil, which is approximately 2.5 hours outside the large city of Sao Paulo.
There ended up being 10 players from all over the country on my Athletes in Action team and six leaders (three staff ladies, two coaches, and an athletic trainer) that made the trip. Meeting these people and doing life with them for about a month was probably the highlight of it all.
Throughout our time in Brazil, we conducted mini-camps where we taught kids of all ages basic basketball fundamentals. We also competed against local high school teams and a couple professional teams. We even played their junior national team, which is the best 18- and 19-year olds in the country that'll be representing Brazil in the next Olympics. We competed well! At the end of the clinics and games one of our players would share their personal faith testimony through a translator. After that, the gospel message was shared and we gave the children or the opposing team, bracelets that represented the gospel. We also handed out brochures that had follow-up information if they wanted to learn more or get involved in a bible study with the Athletes in Action staff in Brazil.
The main point of the trip was to help the family who is on Athletes in Action staff in Brazil, further their ministry. It's amazing the platform that we had as Americans and basketball players. We were celebrities to these kids and coaches, and they were willing to listen to whatever we said or taught them. We estimated that we probably reached 800+ kids, which was absolutely amazing!
The cultural aspects were naturally challenging with the language barrier (Portuguese) and the food… my stomach didn't quite agree with rice and beans for every meal. I was very moved by the Brazilian people and how giving and receptive they were to us. The kids and players alike were willing to give us any of their belongings without thinking twice and it made me realize what a consumer culture we are. I grew in my worldview and think the trip has impacted me in a positive way. I definitely had a great experience and learned more about myself.
Kelly Gardner, Jr., majoring in Psychology
“I went to Zambia with Dr. Case and eight other pre-med students from Davidson from July 8th to August 8th. We spent three weeks working at the United Church of Zambia Mission Hospital in Mwandi. We spent three days on safari in Botswana and four days in Livingstone, Zambia where we saw Victoria Falls.
It was the experience of a lifetime that has definitely changed my outlook on life. It solidified every desire that I have to become a Physician Assistant and work in the medical field. It was truly an eye opening experience that I feel so blessed to have been apart of.
It was an amazing opportunity in which I learned so much about third world medicine and life in Africa. I had the chance to actively participate in surgery and delivery, help write prescriptions, discuss diagnoses, and administer vaccinations. I look back and cannot believe that I was actually able to do everything that I did.
In the short time that we were there I feel that we gave a lot to the people, but I am still amazed at how much they gave us. The African people welcomed us with open arms and went out of their ways to make us feel comfortable during our time there. They were an inspiration to me because they do so much with so little. Many struggle to get by each and every day, but do it with faith. I was in awe of the hope that the people had, even though most of them have nothing.
I have every intention of going back to Africa, but want to wait until I am trained in the medical field so I am able to give more. It was an experience I will remember for a long time."
Senior Julia Paquette (Stockbridge, Ga.) and juniors Ashley Lax (Little Rock, Ark.) and Kelly Gardner (Indianapolis, Ind.) spent their summer in distant countries learning, teaching and enjoying the wonderful experiences they were able to take part in.
Paquette and Gardner spent time in Kenya and Zambia, furthering their career paths and understanding the medical field, while Lax toured with the Athletes in Action, a branch of Campus Crusade for Christ.
Below the three student-athletes' discuss their experiences and what they gained from their summer ventures…
Julia Paquette, Sr., majoring in Chemistry
“I spent three weeks in Nairobi, Kenya with seven pre-med students and the director of medical humanities, Dr. Jeremiah Putnam.
As a pre-dental student, my focus was on the oral health of Kenyans. I did spend one day in the maternity ward and one day in general surgery, but the majority of my time was spent in the Kikuyu Dental Clinic, located just outside of Nairobi.
I came to know the staff of the dental clinic very well and learned much about Kenyan culture through my interactions with them. Kenya differs from many African nations in that it is an emerging country, rather than a third world country. The Kenyan economy is still in developing stages, but Kenyan people are relatively well-educated. I learned a few Swahili phrases, but, since business is mostly conducted in English, I was able to freely converse with the patients and staff. Rural inhabitants of the country typically speak Swahili in addition to their tribal language, so I needed translation when these patients entered the clinic.
The staff of the dental clinic was very welcoming, allowing me to join in for routine procedures. This sort of hands-on experience sparked an interest, which will remain with me through dental school and into my career as a dentist.
As an emerging nation, Kenya's water supply lacks careful regulation. Consequently, the drinking water has irregular levels of fluoride, especially in the volcanic rift valley region. During ordontogenesis, excess fluoride ions replace hydroxide ions in the hydroxyapatite of the enamel, resulting in a condition known as fluorosis.
While in Kenya, I heavily researched the impact of the water supply on teeth. Rural inhabitants had noticeable brown stains on their teeth, a direct result of moderate to severe fluorosis, while city-dwellers (with much healthier water supplies) may have only shown a few white flecks. Interestingly, high fluoride concentrations also contribute to the strength of teeth, allowing large cavities to develop without breaking the tooth structure.
These were just a few of the interesting discoveries I encountered while in Kenya. I was able to witness the need for better dental care in a foreign land, allowing me to bring home a sense of appreciation for American dental care. Along with this appreciation came a desire to improve oral health conditions both abroad and at home.”
Ashley Lax, Jr., majoring in Sociology
“I went to Brazil this summer from June 4th- June 23rd with the organization Athletes in Action, which is a branch of Campus Crusade for Christ. We traveled to Nova Odessa, Brazil, which is approximately 2.5 hours outside the large city of Sao Paulo.
There ended up being 10 players from all over the country on my Athletes in Action team and six leaders (three staff ladies, two coaches, and an athletic trainer) that made the trip. Meeting these people and doing life with them for about a month was probably the highlight of it all.
Throughout our time in Brazil, we conducted mini-camps where we taught kids of all ages basic basketball fundamentals. We also competed against local high school teams and a couple professional teams. We even played their junior national team, which is the best 18- and 19-year olds in the country that'll be representing Brazil in the next Olympics. We competed well! At the end of the clinics and games one of our players would share their personal faith testimony through a translator. After that, the gospel message was shared and we gave the children or the opposing team, bracelets that represented the gospel. We also handed out brochures that had follow-up information if they wanted to learn more or get involved in a bible study with the Athletes in Action staff in Brazil.
The main point of the trip was to help the family who is on Athletes in Action staff in Brazil, further their ministry. It's amazing the platform that we had as Americans and basketball players. We were celebrities to these kids and coaches, and they were willing to listen to whatever we said or taught them. We estimated that we probably reached 800+ kids, which was absolutely amazing!
The cultural aspects were naturally challenging with the language barrier (Portuguese) and the food… my stomach didn't quite agree with rice and beans for every meal. I was very moved by the Brazilian people and how giving and receptive they were to us. The kids and players alike were willing to give us any of their belongings without thinking twice and it made me realize what a consumer culture we are. I grew in my worldview and think the trip has impacted me in a positive way. I definitely had a great experience and learned more about myself.
Kelly Gardner, Jr., majoring in Psychology
“I went to Zambia with Dr. Case and eight other pre-med students from Davidson from July 8th to August 8th. We spent three weeks working at the United Church of Zambia Mission Hospital in Mwandi. We spent three days on safari in Botswana and four days in Livingstone, Zambia where we saw Victoria Falls.
It was the experience of a lifetime that has definitely changed my outlook on life. It solidified every desire that I have to become a Physician Assistant and work in the medical field. It was truly an eye opening experience that I feel so blessed to have been apart of.
It was an amazing opportunity in which I learned so much about third world medicine and life in Africa. I had the chance to actively participate in surgery and delivery, help write prescriptions, discuss diagnoses, and administer vaccinations. I look back and cannot believe that I was actually able to do everything that I did.
In the short time that we were there I feel that we gave a lot to the people, but I am still amazed at how much they gave us. The African people welcomed us with open arms and went out of their ways to make us feel comfortable during our time there. They were an inspiration to me because they do so much with so little. Many struggle to get by each and every day, but do it with faith. I was in awe of the hope that the people had, even though most of them have nothing.
I have every intention of going back to Africa, but want to wait until I am trained in the medical field so I am able to give more. It was an experience I will remember for a long time."
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