Happy Mardi Gras! Carnival season is coming to a close in
New Orleans, but it’s been a busy and exciting few weeks here. There have been
endless parades, floats, and beads over the last month, as well as a couple
tests to mix in. Our classes have finished with the endocrine and reproductive
block, the final block of the year, and we are getting ready for the cumulative
pharmacology shelf exam in only two weeks. The test will cover everything we
have learned this year in the medical pharmacology course, so there will be
plenty of preparations ahead.
Otherwise, I have continued to volunteer with Habitat and
was able to work out an afternoon to tutor at SciHigh this month. It was great
to get back to tutoring at SciHigh after a busy start to the semester. The pre-calculus
students continue to be dedicated learners, as our group made great strides in
their coursework. I’m looking forward to continuing the work and seeing them
finish this school year strong. For Habitat, I spent a day working on a ladder
as we installed soffit beneath the overhanging roof around the perimeter of a
new house. It was exhausting and nerve-racking work, especially at the 30 foot
tall sections of the home, but it felt great to finish a job originally
expected to take at least a couple days. Further, the house was located in New
Orleans East, a region of the city that was significantly affected by the
floods of Katrina. After talking with some of the Habitat crew and other
volunteers, I became more aware of the ongoing effort the organization is
putting forth to repair the devastating damage that occurred a little over a
decade ago. I could even see several houses along the street that had been
constructed by Habitat since the flooding. It was a meaningful experience to
learn more of, witness, and contribute to the steady progress they are making
to repair the damages from the floods. Going forward, I anticipate continuing those relief efforts as well as those towards repairing the devastation from the most recent tornado.
- SciHigh: 1.5 hours
- Habitat for Humanity: 8 hours
- Total Spring Semester: 17.5 hours
