My name is Jennifer Lee, and I am a junior at Loyola University Chicago. Right now, I am a premedical student majoring in Biology and minoring in both Spanish Language and Sociology. I have hopes to go to medical school, complete a surgical residency, and ultimately, become an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. I consider participating in a Global Brigades trip to a Latin American country as an integral part of my higher education, because in the future, I want to be able to communicate with the large of portion of the American population that comes Spanish only speaking families in order to give them the same quality of care as any English speaking family. I have been studying Spanish for about eight years, but in the short period of a week in Panama, speaking to native speakers in a practical setting has greatly enhanced my Spanish speaking ability. When I first sought out to go on a Global Brigade, I had the intention of gaining practical knowledge and cultural competency while helping to contribute to a noble cause of helping others in an underdeveloped community. However, by the end of the trip, I gained a much greater level of global awareness than I expected and now have a growing interest in global health, which is reflected in my writings and projects within this portfolio.