September

9/29/17

Greetings,

            In the time between my first blog entry and now, I have begun volunteering at KIPP Leadership Academy.  Our group of volunteers has been tasked with supporting the administrative team by performing multiple clerical tasks.  Our first tasks were organization based, and required rearranging a room to make it more accessible to staff.  This was a great team building exercise, as it required multiple hands and heads to efficiently execute the reorganization of the room.  Pictures of this activity can be seen below.  Our next task was creating labels, and matching these labels with the correct registration packets.  We have sorted t-shirts for extracurricular activities, and secured the shirts to matching receipts.  Most recently; we have been transferring data from the registration packets into an online database.   

            My experiences at the KIPP Leadership Academy were not initially what I expected.  However, it has revealed to me the many little parts that are required to successfully run a school.  Removing stress from the administrators, allows the administrators to remove stress from the instructors.  This ultimately allows the students to get the most out of their education, which was my ultimate goal.  I am committed to KIPP Leadership Academy, but I believe in the coming months I will be exploring other volunteer opportunities as well. 

Best,

Arielle Johnson

12 Hrs Completed
Cumulative Hours: 12 

A New Beginning

       As a proud New Orleanian, it is exciting to be back in my hometown and apart of the Tulane system once again.  Thus far, Tulane’s Pharmacology program has provided me with invaluable information that will certainly be useful in my next step as a medical student.  We have covered Basic Principles of Pharmacology and Cardiovascular Pharmacology.  We have also participated in a simulation exercise giving me my first taste of what treating a patient is like.  After experiencing my first two block exams, I am extremely confident that I will have a strong foundation in the mechanisms of drugs and there uses in treatment.  I cannot think of a better way to become a more competitive applicant than actually sitting in a medical school classroom.  It is a one of a kind experience.  The faculty have all been very helpful and made extremely intimidating material feasible.  However, the program is not only strengthening me academically.  It is also nurturing a long time passion of mine, volunteering! I am thrilled to soon be working with the students at a local KIPP charter school.  It always brings me joy to give back to the New Orleans community, that has made a serious impact on my life.  I cannot wait to update my blog with details on my experiences!