LILLIAN G
DISCOVER THE JOURNEY
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ABOUT ME
Welcome! I am Lillian Garvin and soon I will be graduating from Florida International University with my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
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I joined the Global Medallion program shortly after learning about it in spring of 2015. The program focuses on growing each student in global issue awareness and culture enrichment and appreciation.
This is my digital journey on how I became a Global Citizen.
WHERE IT STARTED
Before I could run, I had to learn to walk. The first step in being the best global citizen I could be, started with my academic training. The benefit of attending a diverse university, is the wide variety of courses offered. Part of the Global Medallion program is taking 4 Global Learning courses throughout your academic career. These courses were a foundation for my journey.
ANT 2000 Introduction to Anthropology
This course surveys the four sub-fields of Anthropology, which include: Physical Anthropology and Human Evolution, Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology, and Linguistics. This course was one of the most impacting courses I ever took. I learned how different cultures communicate either verbally or by subtle body language. I learned what might be appropriate in American culture, can be considered highly offensive in Eastern Europe.
COM 3417 Communication in Film
This course studied and analyzed film styles from 1920's to today. Film is one of the best tools that one can use to express themselves as well as truly understand how another person sees something.
COM 3461 Intercultural Communication
With this course, we developed the skills to build and maintain relationships across cultures by identifying similarities and differences in communication patterns, language usage and social practice. While taking this class, I learned how to better interact with my coworkers who were all over the globe and I developed an appreciation for new places and new customs.
LAH 2020 Latin American Civilization
The primary focus of this course was to teach us the history and formation of the Caribbean and Central and South America. Emphasis was given to cultural exchange and transformation. When I took this course I could never have guessed that I would be working first hand with officials in South America battling a virus that would soon become an epidemic. Knowing the history of the countries I began working with, helped to give me an outsider, a better understanding on how to help best.
GlobeMed
Part of the Global Medallion encourages activity participation. One of the options that stood out the most to me was the South Florida Chapter of GlobeMed. A global organization that partners with various non-profit organizations around the world to help improve their quality of life as best as they can. Here I acted as GHU coordinator and gave weekly talks to our student body on social justice issues and health epidemics. I was able to be a part of a bigger voice that promotes service and community improvement.
Refugee Welcome
Being part of this program gave students opportunities to give back and work hands on. For Thanksgiving, myself and a few others partnered with Church World Service to host a Thanksgiving welcome lunch for families from around the world. We were able to serve hot meals to families that came from Africa, Asia and Europe who had never been able to experience that before. This experience was humbling and taught me a kind gesture can go a long way for someone.
MY GLOBAL INTERNSHIP
It was time to put what I had learned into practice. I did my internship with the Alliance for Global Justice. The area of focus I choose was public health awareness and illness research.
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My task was to research viral epidemics and identify areas that were at risk. This entailed learning new programs that tracked data, case monitoring and being very good with a map. Initially when I began, Zika Virus was just beginning. Being on the forefront, I was able to map with AFGJ the migration patterns of the viral vector and begin identifying symptoms to better inform the public of this rising epidemic.
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I had the opportunity to network with officials in Nicaragua, Brazil and Colombia. Each of these countries while all being latin, have different backgrounds and cultures. This was an area that I truly applied knowledge from my course work in. Having a good foundation about the cultures and their geographical terrain, aided me in mapping the virus and being as effective as I could be.
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During my internship I also learned the importance of time management. With a viral epidemic as quickly changing and sporadic as Zika, I learned to be flexible and get my work done as soon as I could. Being mindful of time zone differences played a big part in meeting deadlines. AFGJ headquarters is located on the west coast, putting them 3 hours behind my time zone. Brazil and Nicaragua also have time differences. Working with 3 separate time zones instilled in me good organizational skills that I was able to implement at work and in my personal life.
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All the hard work paid off and led to my first article publication on Zika. I was able to use what I had learned from my academics and combine it with my hands on research to produce an article that could help reduce the impact of this epidemic.
LOOKING BACK
My experience in the Global Medallion program was one that made my college years some of the best. I discovered I had a love of public health education and found my passion was to help others. The GLM program taught me that the best way to learn is to go out and experience the cultures we read about, to explore new places and to be a part of making the world a better place.
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During my Global Learning, I took courses that prepared me to be a global citizen. I participated in on campus student organizations, foundation meetings and community engagement events. I had the opportunity to take part in an internship that forever changed my life. I met some of the most influential people by being a part of this program. I learned how to be a better citizen and how to be a better version of myself.
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One of my favorite events was being able to meet with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation President and Director. We discussed on how to help other universities embrace culture and help mold students into well rounded global advocates. This opportunity would not have been possible if I was not part of the Global Medallion program.
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While working with the AFGJ my global awareness changed. I learned that other countries did not have the same resources we have in the states. Seeing this, motivated me to engage in activities locally and globally where I could help make a change.
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CURRICULUM VITAE
OBJECTIVE
Dedicated professional, interested primarily in giving back to the community on a local and global scale. Currently completing coursework to continue into medical school upon completion.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Art in Psychology
Florida International University, Miami Fl
2013-2017
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ALLIANCE FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE
March 2016- February 2017
Viral mapping
Data analysis
Research
NICKLAUS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
October 2014-January 2017
Volunteer administrative assistant
Aid physicians with office duties
Create electronic record of files
Maintain email correspondence
Schedule meetings and business trips
Analyze department scores on satisfaction scales
Aid in implementation of programs for patient satisfaction
VOLUNTEER/ENGAGEMENT WORK
2013-2017
Global Health Coordinator- FIU 2016-Present
Academic Integrity Commitee- FIU- 2017-Present
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Visits 2017
Refugee Thanksgiving 2016
Team Captain- Nicklaus Children's Hospital 2014-2016
Ukranian Student Academic Integrity Panel 2016
AWARDS
Global Learning Medallion, Office of Global Learning, FIU May 2017
Mr. & Ms. FIU Pageant Scholarship 2017
FIU Library Student of the Month- September 2016
Presidential Award for Community Service- Nicklaus Children's Hospital 2015-2016
Marketing Campaign RICOH Scholarship Recipient- 2015
Florida Bright Futures Academic Scholarship Recipient- 2013
