Touched down in Haiti

I am officially down in Jacmel, Haiti.  I don't think I have fully absorbed it yet, but I will be living here for the next year, working as the Resources Coordinator for Community Coalition for Haiti.

I am so grateful for this opportunity and thankful for all of the support I have from family, friends and co-workers.  My "farewell tour," as one of my friends put it, was very humbling.  It was another reminder that while I may be the one living here in Haiti, I could not be here without the support of my family, friends and former co-workers, whom I now call friends.

So how did I end up down here....

In June 2011, I made my first trip to Haiti.  I didn't know it at the time, but my life would be forever changed.

Originally from Connecticut, I went to undergrad at Merrimack College (North Andover, MA) and graduate school at California University of Pennsylvania (no, it's not in California…it's in a town in western PA called California).  At both schools, I majored in Athletic Training, with a focus on performance enhancement and teaching during my graduate studies.  I then went on to work in sports medicine and higher education for three years.  During this time I had the opportunity to go to Haiti in 2011 to start and develop the Haiti Service Learning Initiative at Merrimack College.  As my involvement and commitment to Haiti increased, I realized that there was no better feeling than being in the service of others.   I realized I needed  to help people in need on a full-time basis.

I set off to go to become a physician, left my job at Merrimack and started working as a trauma technician in an emergency department.  However, during this process, I realized that being a doctor was not what I truly wanted.  I realized that I needed to be immersed in the field of global health and development.  I wanted to spend all of my time working to with people in need to better their health and life outcomes.

four-seater flight into Jacmel

And that is how I ended up here in Haiti.  I absolutely love being here.  There are many challenges, yet so many rewards.  And it is all worth it.  In my role here as Resources Coordinator, I will be helping to support and develop the many areas that CCH has been working with the community to sustainably improve health and life outcomes - healthcare, education, development and outreach.  I am so excited and grateful for this opportunity, and I am looking forward to working with the CCH staff and members of the Jacmel community.

Kevin, 6/22