Meet Adriana Colón, a student who participated in two Service Learning Trips with MEDLIFE and discovered a deeper sense of purpose through her SLT experiences. What began as an interest in travel and cultural exchange quickly evolved into a meaningful journey rooted in service, global health, and community impact.
Adriana was first introduced to MEDLIFE in high school, where she was drawn to the opportunity to participate in outreach projects within underserved communities while also getting to explore her interest in healthcare. Although she had previously participated in a medical internship, she found herself questioning whether a future in healthcare was truly the right path. Her experience with MEDLIFE helped bring clarity.
As Adriana reflected, what began as curiosity “soon became something much deeper.”
During her junior year, Adriana participated in an SLT to Cusco, Peru in 2024. There, she worked alongside healthcare professionals and community members in medically underserved areas, gaining firsthand insight into the realities of global health and access inequality.
From the start, Adriana felt a strong connection to the community and a sense of responsibility to contribute. She shadowed clinicians, including an OB/GYN, where she observed how limited access to diagnostics, resources, and preventive care directly impacts maternal and community health. She also supported the OB/GYN station as a medical translator, helping bridge communication gaps between providers and patients under supervision. Through this role, she gained a deeper and more personal understanding of the importance of trust and communication in healthcare.
Adriana also rotated through clinical stations such as dental care and toothbrushing education, where she worked closely with school aged children. Reflecting on this experience, she shared that helping children feel safe “taught me that healthcare is deeply human before it is technical.”
Outside the clinic, Adriana collaborated with community members on development projects, including building greenhouses for low-income families. These efforts directly addressed food insecurity as a public health issue and reshaped her understanding of healthcare as something that extends far beyond clinical settings.
The following year, Adriana participated in a second SLT in San José, Costa Rica, where she stepped into a leadership role as her chapter’s SLT/Travel Director.
In this position, she supported participants before, during, and after the trip, helping create an inclusive and meaningful experience. She also facilitated a yoga and wellness workshop for women in the community, creating space for connection, physical and mental wellness practices, as well as shared reflection. Through this experience, Adriana came to understand that service is reciprocal. As she described, “we grow just as much as we give.” This realization helped shape her approach to leadership, emphasizing empathy, adaptability, and collaboration.
Adriana’s experiences also deepened her awareness of systemic inequities. Growing up in Puerto Rico, she had already witnessed how limited healthcare access and fragile infrastructure affect communities, particularly during times of crisis.
Her SLT experiences helped reinforce the understanding that these challenges are not isolated, but shared across many regions all around the world. Rather than discouraging her, this realization strengthened her commitment to contributing to more equitable healthcare systems in the future.
Through her experiences, Adriana developed a more holistic understanding of health, one that includes education, infrastructure, and community collaboration. MEDLIFE played a key role in transforming her perspective from one of uncertainty to one of purpose.
She reflected that meaningful service is not about “helping from above,” but about working alongside communities with humility and respect.
Today, Adriana continues to stay involved and hopes to participate in future SLTs. She sees these experiences not as isolated moments, but as a foundation that will continue to guide her personal and professional journey.
To learn how you can work on projects focused around medical, educational, and development outreach in underserved communities like Adriana, fill out the interest form below or download our Service Learning Trip brochure today!