Earlier this year, Biological Sciences major and Urban Scholar MaHailey Stephens traveled to Panama with Marquette’s Medical Global Brigades service trip to provide sustainable health care to local community members.
While there, she reflected on how this year’s Ignatian theme of “I have called you friends” was present throughout her work and how she’ll carry the lessons she learned with her for years to come.
Global Brigades embodies our Ignatian theme for this academic year, “I have called you friends,” by prioritizing collaboration and partnership over a savior mindset.
Each student, clinician, dentist and volunteer is driven to work with the people in the community rather than for them. Before entering any community, whether at home or abroad, we invite local members and health care providers to join the brigade in any capacity, including providing care, translating, or organizing clinic set-up.
This allows us to listen carefully and work alongside the community.
Rather than assuming we know what is needed, we ask and listen for understanding, reflecting Ignatian discernment.
While we do research the communities we visit, we also recognize that we cannot know everything about another culture, so we enter with humility, an open mind and a willingness to learn.
Through this approach, lifelong friendships are formed between brigaders, community members, health care professionals and translators, fostering shared humanity and an environment for collaborative, preventative, and sustainable care.
At its core, Global Brigades is tied to the Ignatian mission of Cura Personalis, or caring for the whole person.
By valuing individuality and listening to understand, we connect with others while providing resources to those who don’t have them.
I felt called to serve the people of Panama because I could provide meaningful support and help establish long-term, sustainable health care.
Knowing Global Brigades is committed to this standard made the decision to go on the brigade easy. I will carry these values into my everyday life, my future profession, and continued service.
