February 2017

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