April

Total Spring Hours: 35.5
Total April Hours: 4


It is so hard to believe that the program is ending! It seems like we were all just meeting each other and sitting quietly in class. We've all become such great friends throughout the year, and had some great experiences.
This month, Ruby and I continued our normal volunteering at St. Anna's and ESY. There were some long breaks due to the Easter holiday, but we were able to make it in to help out a few times.
At St. Anna's, we made granola bars and taco lettuce wraps. For our last class with them, we are hoping to make a healthy version of one of their favorite foods, ice cream! We will be using frozen fruit and a few other healthy ingredients to make a delicious snack.
At ESY, we have been helping out with the K class, who are already on the letter W, learning about watermelon, walnuts, and wild rice! We will be continuing with ESY after the Pharmacology program ends, until they leave for summer break.
I can't believe that this is it, but I've had the best year I ever could have imagined! I've learned so much, explored a gorgeous city, and made so many amazing friends. I can't wait to see what NOLA has in store for me next year.

ESY: 3 hours
St. Anna's: 1 hour

March

This month has definitely been a stressful one, with our last block exam, and the big NBME exam. Luckily, I was able to take some time off of studying to volunteer, which was just what I needed to put my schoolwork in perspective and get geared up for some intense weeks of study.

My regular ESY kitchen classes are at Green Charter, which is a member of FirstLine schools.
Whenever any school at FirstLine needs volunteers, they send an email blast to everyone, which gives me an opportunity to get involved in different ways. On March 7th and 14th, I volunteered at Arthur Ashe Charter, helping watch and play with autistic children while their parents took a class with ASGNO (Autism Society of Greater New Orleans). I had a great time with the kids, getting to know them and learning a little more about the disorder. It was a really great experience, as a I have been learning the science behind autism as a researcher in Dr. Mielke's lab.

After my ASGNO event, I had my regular St. Anna's Nutrition class, where we had a big day! We learned how to make different types of healthy chips, including tortilla, kale, and sweet potatoes. Surprisingly, the kale chips were the most popular with the kids! We had a great time. We also picked out the menu for family night, which is in a few weeks. The students in the nutrition class will be cooking a meal for their families!

Also this month, I volunteered at An Edible Evening, which is a fundraiser for FirstLine Schools and ESY. It was a great event, and they were able to raise over $165,000 for the two organizations! Ruby and I are already looking forward to volunteering again next year. I included a short video from the event below.

March hours = 18
ASGNO 4 hours
SAAK 6 hours
ESY 2 hours
Edible Evening 6 hours


Total hours: 31.5

February

This month has been so exciting! I have been able to experience my first real Mardi Gras (my hometown in California used to throw a small version every year)!
Along with all of the festivities, I have been busy with schoolwork and volunteering.

With Girl Scouts, I was able to attend the Urban League of Greater New Orleans school expo at the Superdome, where we talked with girls and parents about joining the organization. It was a great way to get out into the community and get to know a wide variety of people in the area. I am looking forward to the next GS event I can attend!
At St. Anna's, we created a healthy Mardi Gras snack (no King Cake for us): fruit kabobs! We learned about all of the vitamins we can get from fruits, and then practiced our fruit cutting skills. We  used Green honeydew melon, Purple grapes, and Yellow bananas for a healthy and festive snack before the parades.
At ESY, we are continuing to work with letters, learning about Q (quesadillas, quince jelly, and quinoa). It is so great to get to experience new foods through the eyes of kindergarteners!


Hours:
SAAK: 3
Girl Scouts: 3
ESY: 3
Total Feb: 9

Total: 13.5

January

Jumping back into the program in January, we started off with the Endocrine block. I really enjoyed the block, as I have an interest in Endocrinology and Reproductive Endocrinology. It is interesting to learn about how the body works together in the complicated system, and how figuring out disorders is similar to putting together a puzzle. It struck me how far science still has to go in order to figure out these complicated systems. Along with taking the MCAT, it has been a really busy semester so far.

As we get started in the Neuro block and busy with our new elective classes, I have been able to fit in some time to volunteer. Along with my regular volunteer activities at ESY and SAAK, I have just started orientation to become a volunteer with the Girl Scouts. I am really looking forward to this, as Girl Scouts was an especially bright spot in my childhood. I look forward to helping girls in the New Orleans area learn valuable leadership skills. 

At ESY, Ruby and I switched to working with the kindergarten class! It has been a joy to start off our Wednesday mornings with their enthusiastic faces. Last week, they learned about and sampled foods starting with K, including Kale! This week, they focused on the letter M, tasting Mango, Melon, and Mint Tea. I am looking forward to the rest of the semester with them as they work on their alphabet and vocabulary. 

At St Anna's Arts for Kids Saturday program, Ruby and I have become the Program Coordinators for the Nutrition class. We are responsible for lesson planning, recipe selection, and leading the classes each week. Our first class is coming up this Saturday, where we will focus on learning food groups as we make French Bread Pizzas. It should be a very fun semester. 

Hours: 

Girl Scouts: 1.5 hours (orientation)

ESY: 2 hours 

SAAK: 1 hour 

Total Hours: 4.5 hours