Meet the Interns: Rachel

Rachel Eggleston is a valuable member of MEDLIFE's Student Advisory Board.  She will be serving in Ecuador this summer with fellow interns JP and Meredith.  Rachel is currently developing a child nutrition program along with JP, under the guidance of our Director of Operations in Ecuador, Martha Chicaiza.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland, but I currently live in Hanover, New Hampshire. I will be a senior at Dartmouth College in the fall. I love studying Neuroscience and Spanish!

Why did you apply for the MEDLIFE internship?

I have been involved in the Dartmouth chapter of MEDLIFE since my freshman year. I bonded with other Medlifers over scarf and grilled cheese sales, and they quickly became my best friends! I first traveled to Ecuador for a MEDLIFE mobile clinic two years ago, and applied for the MEDLIFE internship because I was interested in spending a longer amount of time here. I've served on the SAB for the past year, and can't wait to contribute to MEDLIFE's operations here in South America. I'm so excited to meet all of the students participating in mobile clinics this summer!

Tell us more about this malnutrition project JP mentioned?

Each intern is asked to work on a specific project this summer, and JP and I decided to focus on chronic malnutrition, or "stunting." In May, the government released a new assistance program for pregnant women and children under 5. We met with regional Ministry of Health officials this morning, and are currently in the process of determining how we can most be of help. Meredith is also going to use her media expertise to help us make some educational videos.

What have you enjoyed most about living in Riobamba so far?

Bonding with JP, Meredith, and Martha, of course! Our apartment doubles as our office, so we're always together! Can't get enough. We're hard at work in the communities or in the apartment during the day, and unwind at night by playing Bananagrams or watching Justin Bieber documentaries with Martha. I've had a lot of fun exploring Riobamba as well, and I've fallen in love with the enchiladas at Pizzería San Valentin! Thanks for the tip, Tommy.

Glad you're enjoying those enchiladas, Rachel!  We'll be on the lookout for updates from your nutrition project in the coming weeks.  Good luck!