Eight days after graduating from Indiana University in May, Emilly Schroering (pictured) will be working with doctors in Tanzania for 45 days as a volunteer with Projects Abroad. The Greenwood native has to get six immunizations before traveling, including typhoid, malaria and rabies shots:
Have you ever been to Africa?
No. I didn’t plan on looking at Africa specifically but wanted to go somewhere I was needed.
What will you do in Tanzania?
My responsibility will be vital statistics of patients, taking patient history and assisting in medical procedures.
Why did you want to go overseas?
I always knew that I wanted to travel after graduation, and I wasn’t sure where, when or how. I was talking to one of my professors about what I wanted to do, and then it just hit me: volunteering. When I started at IU, I was a pre-physician’s assistant, and now I’m trying to get patient care experience and be more hands-on.
What do you hope to get out of this experience?
People have said to go in without any expectations, but I want to make a difference if I can. I expect it’ll be really humbling and life-changing.
How are you funding this trip?
I’m trying to work more, baby-sit more and look for scholarships, but I also have a fundraising page online at gofundme.com/emillyschroering.
— By Abby Armbruster, [email protected]
