Our Alumni Network Supports Leaders in Social Change
Training and Immersion Impacts Alumni
While abroad, Unite For Sight's Global Impact Fellows are immersed in effective public health programs. Their extensive pre-departure training accelerates their impact, engagement, and competency when they are abroad. They learn first-hand about best practices in public health, international development, cultural competency, and cross-cultural communication. The Unite For Sight experience develops a volunteer's passion and perspective while enhancing the volunteer’s potential in many career fields across all sectors, including medicine, public health, and international development. 99% of alumni say that participating with Unite For Sight impacted their interest in global health and international development, and 97% report that participating in the program enhanced their ideas and interest in social entrepreneurship and contributing to widespread social change.
Unite For Sight's globally-competent alumni are the change-makers of today. Driven by their idealism and enthusiasm, they can bring innovative ideas and fresh insights to the table, building a better world for all. They embrace diversity of ethnicity, religion, age, gender, culture, cognitive ability, life experiences, etc. Their important skills include acceptance of and respect for different cultures, the ability for cross-cultural communication, and a comprehensive understanding of global health. They can synthesize academic knowledge from comparative fields, and use an interdisciplinary, culturally-appropriate approach to tackle global issues. Equipped with these skills and ethical dispositions, Unite For Sight's globally-competent alumni are ready to make a difference in the world.
"The unparalleled experience with Unite for Sight in Ghana provided me with a deeper understanding of how medicine and public health are inextricably linked. I hope to incorporate the tools and knowledge I garnered through this volunteer opportunity as a future healthcare provider." --Taygan Yilmaz, MPH, Global Impact Fellow in Ghana
"My trip to India with Unite For Sight was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Witnessing the desperate need of some of the world's poorest citizens ignited my passion for international humanitarian work that I have continued since that trip. Without Unite For Sight, I would not have discovered my love of medicine and infectious disease prevention, the fields I will be working in after graduation in June."--Leigha Winters, Global Impact Fellow in India
"At Stanford University, I had studied a great deal about inadequate access to healthcare and the health disparities still existing in the world today; however, such issues did not become real for me until I witnessed the debilitating effects of such problems first-hand in Ghana. My Unite For Sight internship opened my eyes to the work that remains to be done in developing countries, and showed me the importance of establishing sustainable projects that empower individuals to help their local communities long after the volunteers are gone. Since my time in Tamale with Dr. Wanye, I have gone on other global service trips, and I know that international health is the area in which my passion for medicine lies. After attending medical school, I hope to continue serving abroad and help to establish training facilities that will assist communities world-wide, just as Unite For Sight has done."--Joyce Ho, Global Impact Fellow in Ghana
"Being in Chennai really opened up my eyes to the desparate conditions of the underserved living in poorer villages and districts. Yet, through Unite for Sight, we were able to effectively diminish some of the burdens of the poor by providing them with the invaluable gift of sight. Experiencing the joy of someone whose vision had been restored to them will forever remain a part of me, along with the knowledge that we had truly made a difference."--Ravin Bastiampillai, Global Impact Fellow in India
"In contrast to studying public health in an academic setting, Unite for Sight allowed me to gain perspective on the way that public health is actually done in the field. As a result, I became so interested in community health that I went on to work for the Pan American Health Organization on a children's environmental health project at the U.S./Mexico border. I am interested in combining my interests in global health with my background as a scientist in my future work to better understand health disparities and strategies to help communities that most need it. I'm an undergraduate in the chemistry department at Princeton.I plan on applying to either MD or MD/PhD programs after Princeton."--Atrish Bagchi, Global Impact Fellow in Ghana
"Unite For Sight gave me the wonderful opportunity to volunteer in Bihar, India with the Sinha family of phthalmologists whose energy and enthusiasm was highly contagious. Along with Unite For Sight, the Sinhas have ignited my interest in public health and enthusiasm to take an active role in my community. I hope that sharing my positive experiences with my community will raise awareness about the need for vision services in developing countries and inspire others to become leaders in global change as well." - Jasdeep Manik, Global Impact Fellow in Bihar, India
Alumni Opportunities With Unite For Sight
After completing their participation abroad, many alumni volunteers choose to remain active with the organization in a variety of capacities. They have the opportunity to represent Unite For Sight in their community and as Campus Representatives at their universities, they serve as Global Leader Fellows in Unite For Sight programs abroad, they participate as Global Health Leadership Interns in the Unite For Sight Office, and they pursue full-time employment in the Unite For Sight Office. Additionally, many alumni attend and present at Unite For Sight's Annual GH/Innovate Global Health & Innovation Conference.
Our Alumni Become New Leaders in Global Health
Volunteering with Unite For Sight offers a valuable opportunity to experience people, culture, medicine, and social change in a new setting that may affect your educational or career goals and further your personal growth. Alumni are inspired and equipped with the tools to develop their own initiatives. For example, as a rising sophomore at University of Pennsylvania, Sohani Amarasekera volunteered with Unite For Sight in Chennai, India and was immersed in Unite For Sight's global health and eye care programs. Inspired by her volunteer experience, Sohani returned home and immediately began developing her own unique project. She collaborated with clinics and the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka to implement diabetic retinopathy screening clinics that are now providing care to 600 patients per month. In recognition of her leadership and social entrepreneurship, Sohani was selected by Glamour Magazine as a 2009 Top 10 College Woman, and she also received the L'Oreal Beauty of Giving Award.
Alumni Services
Unite For Sight provides letters of recommendation for its alumni volunteers. The letter is written based on the evaluation submitted by the eye clinic to Unite For Sight about each volunteer. Using the details provided in the eye clinic's evaluation, Unite For Sight prepares a comprehensive letter that also discusses the role and involvement of the volunteer in the Unite For Sight programs. The letter may also include details about any special entrepreneurial project that a volunteer develops while participating in the Unite For Sight program.