Last class, our conversation revolved around guidelines to ethical service engagement. This is a serious topic not only because of the thousands of dollars invested into each Loewenstern fellow, but because each of us hope to make the most out of our experiences. After the discussion and more thought, I decided that I would focus my attention on these following three guidelines during my time in Rwanda.

My first guideline will be full immersion. As CFHI so promotes, I believe that any international service trip should be at minimum a month long in order for anyone to even begin to understand the local mindset and culture. If you are not immersed into your community, you are serving from “the outside”. It is critical to serve from within in order to be effective and accepted. For me, full immersion includes learning the local language, showing genuine interest into the unique stories of local individuals, and listening before speaking. Another part of full immersion includes open communication, both directly and indirectly. Whenever I interact with others at PREFER, I need to communicate that I am open to learning about them and their needs through my words and general behavior.

My second guideline is to maintain a constant intellectual stimulation. It would be the saddest thing after my trip if I realized that I had gone through the entire six weeks without truly reflecting and formulating lessons I’ve learned.From personal experience, it is so, so easy to just “go through the motions” of any activity and never truly realize its significance to those around you and my own personal maturation. I determine to use this once in a lifetime opportunity to expand my insights into the world and my place in it. I believe that consistent, extravagant times of reflection can transform not only my long-term mindset, but also enable me to continuously improve how I am serving along the way. As I take the time to journal and synthesize mini-lessons throughout my fellowship, I can be able to take on the next day with a renewed determination of growth.

Lastly, my third guideline is to ensure that there is a form of sustainability to my service. Sustainability can take on many forms, but it is crucial for a positive change that can be built upon constructively for the long term. This can be possible for both the server and the served. The server continues learning and possibly serving, the served are able to build upon what they have learned in order to serve themselves. When I come back from my trip, I must continue dialogue about the issues I encountered, and keep seeking how to connect life experiences to those needs. Whatever I do during my six weeks, whether I am preparing students for their annual examinations or teaching dental hygiene, there must be a continuation of learning or service after my trip. Personally, I believe that my time in Rwanda will expose myself to the needs of another country that will allow me to better focus my future career as a dentist. As for how I teach, I hope that I keep in mind the big picture of my students’ futures – that I am not only teaching them short-term information, but arming them with knowledge they can internalize and maintain for the rest of their lives.