Perspectives Winter/Spring-2017

4 • NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Students, alumni, and faculty and staff members at the College of Heath Care Sciences (CHCS) are making a difference in our local communities. The CHCS cares, and the stories in this issue of Perspectives bring to life a few of the many ways it shows. Readers will likely be inspired and amazed by the compassion, dedication, and passion of the individuals and teams. Last year, CHCS students contributed 1,719 hours of community service and impacted 2,541 people in their communities. Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” During their NSU journey, students are learning to become skilled professionals and engaged citizens. Student-led projects included international medical outreach trips, domestic service experiences, health fairs, environmental cleanups, and health screenings for migrant workers. Other service-related projects in- cluded building a home through Habitat for Humanity; fund-raising for local, nonprofit organizations; and many more valuable endeavors benefiting children, animals, and the underserved. This issue highlights a few of the ways students, alumni, and faculty and staff members are using their unique talents and passions to make a positive difference. The article “Fins Up in Honduras” describes how Andrew Geers, P.A., class of 2015, is achieving his vision to serve full time at a mission hospital in Honduras. After an experience in 2008, he felt a calling to serve in a greater capacity. Each year, students and faculty members from multiple professions within the college venture out to Caribbean and South American countries to assist the people in those communities by providing health education and health services. In “Guatemala Mission Trip Proves Enlightening,” Ashley Sweat, PA-C, class of 2016, shares the journey of Orlando physician assistant students as they spend a week providing treatment and public health education in local schools and homes there. “Healing After Hate: Occupational Therapy in the Context of Mass Tragedy” describes the experiences of Scott Buckingham, M.S.O.T., class of 2013, who worked with survivors of the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. While Buckingham was working to promote healing for the shooting victims, Orlando physician assistant students worked diligently to assist other health care providers by offering encouragement and support. Second-year PA student Heidi Lamoreaux also organized her classmates and partnered with Elon University students to fill 40 gift baskets. Lamoreaux and her peers provided handwritten letters to each health care provider and included them in the baskets. The CHCS Cares: Serving Our Communities with Compassion