Meet Our Newest International Volunteers
We are excited to introduce our newest cohort of courageous and dedicated global volunteers. By dedicating their time, energy, and expertise, they will help make a positive difference in the lives of our beneficiaries. The Volunteer Program is an extension of CMMB’s dedication to strengthening health systems in developing countries through training, logistical and professional support, and direct provision of services and supplies.
Megan Ramirez
Position:Speech and feeding therapist
Serving in: Trujillo and Huancayo, Peru
Start date: July 2017
Duration of stay: 12 months
Megan obtained her master of science in speech and language pathology at Syracuse University in 2014. She served as a volunteer teacher at a non-profit organization for Spanish speaking children and adults in Quito, Ecuador for one year and she is excited to be able to volunteer again this time with CMMB in Peru.
Megan truly believes that education provides opportunities that improve lives. She is grateful for this chance to serve vulnerable and under-served people and looks forward to bringing back all that she learns to share with her colleagues in the US. When asked who she would like to have with her in the event of a broken elevator, Megan chose Jimmy Fallon for his sense of humor! If you have to be stuck, might as well have fun.
Brynn Macaulay
Position: Nurse (RN)
Start date: Early 2018
Duration of stay: 6 months
Brynn is returning to volunteer in CMMB Peru as an registered nurse. She obtained her bachelor of science in nursing at the University of Portland, and has experience in maternal and neonatal health, adult trauma intermediate care, and community health. Brynn previously served with CMMB in Trujillo, Peru for one year back in 2012. She is looking forward to going back and reconnecting with the local team and the beautiful people in the community.
Brynn’s favorite book is The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, which lays out the four simple but difficult agreements one must make with herself in order to achieve fulfillment spiritual enlightenment. 1. Be impeccable with your word, 2. Don’t take anything personally, 3. Don’t make assumptions, and 4. Always do your best.
With CMMB, Brynn hopes to help expand the community-based maternal and child health program in Trujillo, and to train local women to continue the work and empower them to improve the health of their own communities.
Dr. Mary Fleming
Position: OB-GYN
Start date: September 2017
Duration of stay: 6 months
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Dr. Mary E. Fleming attended Xavier University of Louisiana for her undergraduate degree. She received her medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Meharry Medical College.
Dr. Fleming’s favorite quote is one by Muhammad Ali: “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” Dr. Fleming is looking forward to using her knowledge and expertise to help improve the lives of vulnerable people in the communities where she will serve in Kenya. She hopes to be an asset while in the field and to learn alternative ways to practice medicine.
Dr. Charlie Cassidy
Position: Physician
Serving in: Côtes-de-Fer,Haiti
Start date: September 2017
Duration of stay: 6 months
Charlie obtained his medical degree from the School of Medicine at the University of California in San Francisco in 2013. He is currently completing his training in the JPS Family Medicine Residency Program. Charlie spent a year in Moldova with Catholic Relief Services as a program manager and two years as a business advisor for enterprises in Haiti. Charlie hopes to positively impact the lives of people in Haiti by providing care and teaching for patients. Charlie has a keen interest in serving vulnerable and forgotten communities in the developing world.
Stephanie Summa
Position: Physician assistant
Start date: September/October 2017
Duration of stay: 6 – 12 months
New York native, Stephanie received her physician assistant bachelors of science degree from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2014. She has experience in internal medicine, emergency, OB-GYN, and pediatric Oncology.
Stephanie hopes to gain more global awareness through her experience with CMMB and looks forward to learning from the people she will encounter along the way. She also believes that there will be a lot of spiritual, emotional, and professional growth. Her biggest inspiration is Mother Theresa and will always try to do as Mother Teresa said: “Do small things with great love.”
Mary Cathryn Espadero
Position: Monitoring and evaluation specialist
Start date: August 2017
Duration of stay: 6 months
Cathryn completed her advanced diploma in monitoring and evaluation at NYU in 2017 and graduated with a bachelors from Ateneo de Manila University in 2015. She is an experienced program coordinator, research assistant, and M&E specialist, having worked with rural communities in the Philippines. Previously, she was the program coordinator for knowledge management for governance reform at the Institute for Solidarity in Asia.
Lucien Lee
Position: Public health specialist
Serving in: Côtes-de-Fer and Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Start date: June 2017
Duration of stay: 3 months
Lucian attended the National University of Singapore where he earned his undergraduate engineering degree. Lucian is currently working towards a masters in public administration at Columbia University. He has experience in the field of needs assessment and project design for m/Health and marketing and communications.
Lucian hopes to learn more about different ways to build public health capacity and pioneer the use of health technologies in Haiti. He is patient, but relentless. When asked who he would most like to be stuck in an elevator with, Lucian chose Gordon Ramsay in hopes that Ramsay would magically produce lunch out of his pockets. “I might as well eat while I wait!”
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Become an International Volunteer