Georgian College

Humanitarian health care practitioners Katie Douglas, Practical Nursing '08, administers parasite medication to students at an elementary school in San Jose de Ocoa, Dominican Republic. En route to a clinic in a rural mountain community. For Katie Douglas, it's all about giving back, both when she was a Georgian student, and now as an alumna. The nursing grad has participated four times in the college's unique interdisciplinary program that sees students and alumni from the Health and Wellness and Community Studies schools visit the Dominican Republic and provide much-needed aid. "It's a great volunteer experience," says Douglas, who completed both the Practical Nursing diploma and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. She now works as a school nurse at a private boarding school in Whitby and part- time at a nearby mental health facility. "We travel to areas where they really depend on us and our once-a-year visits. We might be the only medical personnel they see. I go for two weeks. It's a pretty big commitment, but it's well worth it." Earlier this year, close to 100 students from the Barrie, Orangeville, Orillia and Owen Sound campuses, along with a number of faculty, participated in the nearly four-week program that attracts students from the Practical Nursing, Paramedic, Massage Therapy, Police Foundations and Social Service Worker programs. Participants fundraise throughout the year to make the trip possible. Besides monetary donations and raffle prizes, they also collect much- needed drugs and medical supplies that aren't readily available in the Dominican Republic. Douglas hopes to go on a fifth trip soon. She plans her annual vacation time accordingly to be part of the trip as an alumni team leader. "It's a great opportunity for our students," she says. "They get experience working abroad while also developing their critical-thinking skills and resourcefulness as they work through language barriers." Douglas is currently working on a masters in disaster and emergency management, a specialized field partially inspired by her experiences in the Dominican Republic. She is certain this field needs greater attention with disasters seemingly becoming more commonplace as a result of changing weather patterns and a number of other factors. By Andrew Philips To learn more about Georgian's annual interdisciplinary learning trip to the Dominican Republic, including how you can support it, please contact Sheila Wojcik at 705-728-1968, ext. 5580. "We travel to areas where they really depend on us and our once-a-year visits." 22 | GeorgianView 2012/13

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