Arnav Vasudeva, entering his third year in the Life Sciences
program at McMaster,
encourages every university student to seize a learning opportunity
like the
one that took him to Costa Rica.

From May 7 to 20, Vasudeva travelled abroad via International
Service Learning in
search of hands-on medical experience and a chance to make a
difference. The agency
gave him the opportunity to provide medical assistance to families in
three
communities, along with a group of ten international students and a
translator.

“It was pin-drop silent at dinner on the first day. By the end of
the trip, we'd all
become close enough to keep in touch,” said Vasudeva.

The students went on house visits and performed clinic duties under
the
supervision of a local doctor. Collaboratively, they aided in
diagnosing, filling out
patient records and treating local patients.

“I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field, but it's a
bit hard to put
things into perspective when you're sitting in a lecture hall. I
wanted to become a doctor
– this experience just confirmed it,” said Vasudeva.

McMaster offers its own service-learning opportunities for students
who want to
get out of the lecture hall and into the “real world.” The Student
Success Centre (SSC) is home to Mac Serve
Global, a program which runs during
the summer and allows students to go abroad, learn about other
cultures and traditions
and contribute through hands-on volunteer service.

Mac Serve is not faculty-specific nor tailored to any particular
academic interest,
but is flexible to suit the interests of participants.

Adam Kuhn, a manager at the SSC, facilitated a trip to Costa Rica
in 2010 and this
year travelled to Peru.

“For graduating students, the program is often a capstone project
that ties in the
university experience,” said Kuhn. “Our students often become very
emotionally
connected to the community in which they work. It can be life
changing.”

In Peru, for example, students rolled up their sleeves to help
build a school. They
were also in the midst of a Peruvian election, which coincided with
the Canadian
election. In response to current events, students debated on topics
related to education
and politics, and also got the chance to speak with a local
anthropologist.

Mac Serve Global offers training sessions before departure to help
prepare students
for culture shock and learn the basics of foreign politics, customs
and language. The
experience is also meant to be introspective, and students are
encouraged to
make connections between the trip and personal events.

For students like Vasudeva, international service-learning offers
an exhilarating
opportunity to enhance the university experience. For those who would
prefer to stay close to campus, however, there are still a number of
options. Kuhn reminds
students that “there's a spectrum of ways to get involved, and we
should look for
opportunities in our own backyard.”