Have you ever gone through a life-changing experience that alters your perspective? Kelvin, virtual intern, shares his motivation on giving back through a virtual internship and working in healthcare in Costa Rica.
Why is Kelvin Giving Back His Global Community?
Kelvin is now currently studying to become a registered nurse; however, that was not his initial plan. “Something you might be surprised to learn about me is that I changed my academic career path from pre-med to pre-nursing after my experience battling leukemia at the age of 19,” Kelvin explains. He recounts his time at the City of Hope hospital where he was introduced to a team of nurses who inspired him in ways he could never have imagined.
Their encouragement and compassionate care strengthened my will to persevere through multiple rounds of chemotherapy. – Kelvin Chau.
Eventually, his calling to provide the same level of compassion and care heightened. He took steps towards his goals after he received a bone marrow transplant and going into remission. “I am passionate about volunteering with nonprofit organizations. Especially to focus on promoting health equity and global health across borders,” Kelvin shares ardently.
Virtually Educating Patients about Cancer
Consequently, Kelvin chose an organization for his internship with a mission and vision that resonated with him as a cancer survivor—wanting to educate on prevention and early detection of cancer variants that affect the people in Costa Rica. “Specifically, one of the main aims of their organization is to address the educational support needed for patients and their families, which was something I felt was extremely important to me when I went through my cancer battle,” Kelvin expresses.
Read More: 5 Benefits to Virtual Volunteering and Internship
Kelvin created various posters in Spanish to educate families in local communities for the early detection of cancer. The poster above is about kidney cancer (renal cell cancer or renal cell adenocarcinoma).
Making an Impact
Before Kelvin started his internship, he deliberated and set his mind on goals to achieve. Notably, his goals were to “identify and implement strategies to educate both patients and the broader community on cancer risk factors and prevention while improving my IT knowledge and computer skills,” he said.
Kelvin described that he successfully implemented an “innovative solution to help the cancer community abroad by digitally connecting patients and caregivers with friends and families through Slack, a channel-based messaging platform. As a result, this mitigates the psychological impact brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This evolved into an online support community that gives patients a safe space to share their experiences throughout their journey with others going through similar challenges.”
Tips on Giving Back through a Virtual Internship or Volunteer Quest
Kelvin shares his best practices to balance his work as a virtual intern and a full-time student below:
- Create a weekly set schedule in a personal planner.
- List tasks and allocate time to complete them.
- Be transparent by communicating with your project supervisor if deadlines cannot be met.
- Research your host country and organization beforehand.
- Be intentional and get to know your project supervisor on a personal level.
Your impact on communities abroad, albeit small or big, can leave a lasting impact. Most importantly, it will not only bring a sense of personal satisfaction, but also help create a more united planet.
Find Out More: Virtual Volunteering and Internship
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
