Sukhaman Kaur

“Getting involved made the difference”

“I started out just taking classes,” says Sukhaman Kaur, “and then I later got involved, which I think was great for me. Without being involved and without the support of faculty and staff, I probably wouldn’t have been able to make it.”

Getting involved for Kaur included a two-week trip to Guatemala in summer 2016 with 17 other University of Washington Bothell students, during which they created one-day “pop-up” clinics in schools or churches at seven villages. Led by Mabel Ezeonwu, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing & Health Studies, the group traveled by river and shared living conditions with the local people.

The experience “not only taught me about the fundamentals of the health care system and the global determinants of health in Guatemala,” Kaur says, “but also taught me to make do with the amount of resources you are provided.”

Getting involved also included an internship with Lutheran Community Services Northwest in Snohomish County and work as an Achieving Community Transformation (ACT) lead in UW Bothell’s Student Success Center. ACT students help organize events honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and activities for the University’s alternative spring break.

“We are able to plan service projects for students in addition to participating in them ourselves,” Kaur says. “Working with ACT allowed me to be a leader in many ways that taught me it is never too late to get involved — and that you should never limit yourself!

A winter 2017 graduate in health studies, Kaur next plans to earn a master’s in public health. “Overall, my time at Bothell has been great,“ she says. “The four years flew by fast.”