A spring break trip to a remote village in the Appalachians gave a group of Upper School students an immersive experience in healthcare and cross-cultural understanding.

Williamson, West Virginia, is home to around 3,000 residents, many who have been devastated by natural disasters and economic hardship. It’s the seat of Mingo County, one of the poorest counties in the United States with over 50% unemployment, where the death rate is greater than the birth rate, and where nearly 20% of children are born with traces of drugs or alcohol in their system.

As part of a hands-on experiential learning program through GPSA for Health, Blake students interested in pursuing health-related careers visited Williamson to work with local healthcare professionals to provide adult, adolescent and pediatric aid. Their patients were primarily uninsured or covered by government programs. In addition to being trained to take blood pressure, BMI and blood glucose levels, the students learned about prevention and wellness initiatives at the Williamson health clinic, as well as the challenges the community faces.  

“Even though we tend to hear all of the awful statistics related to addiction and poor health, it was inspiring to see the important work being undertaken by this small group of committed professionals,” says Dion Crushshon, Blake’s global programs director and the trip leader. 

Students split their time conducting home visits and working in the clinic’s various units including primary care, dentistry, podiatry, pediatrics and chemical dependency treatment. Crushshon says that one of the most powerful moments of the trip was sitting in on a group therapy session for recovering addicts during which 12 people talked about their road to addiction and their subsequent recovery. “It was intense and moving and unlike anything most of us have ever been a part of,” he says. 

The group met up with Blake 2016 alumna Susannah Hollander, who lives near Williamson and has worked for the past two years in a significantly under-served community in Kentucky. She shared stories about her experience as a Teach for America teacher whose students have been impacted by poverty and drug-addicted family members. 

“Each and every student expressed gratitude for this week of learning and eye-opening, mind-blowing experiences in the clinics and the treatment facilities,” Crushshon says. “Some of the students said they were actually sad to be leaving.”

See photos from the Upper School trip to Williamson.