Sister Spotlight: Sabrina Loiacono

     Welcome back everyone!! I hope you had a relaxing and safe holiday break! For our first blog post of 2019, we'll be featuring one of our Beta Eta sisters, Sabrina Loiacono. Over the break, Sabrina traveled to Ecuador for a service learning trip with the Medlife program here at Florida State to help individuals receive the health care that they deserve. Sabrina, hoping to work in the medical field, specifically with children, went on this trip to do just that. Often times we don't realize how lucky we have it here in America, however, Sabrina got to see firsthand what people in countries with such little health care have to deal with every day. During this trip, Sabrina got the opportunity to work alongside a general doctor in Ecuador. In doing this, she was able to help treat patients with muscle and abdominal pains, that couldn't walk, had loss of hearing, and infections by giving them the treatments and medications they were in need of. She also took both adult's and children's vitals while working alongside a dentist to help extract a child's tooth. Finally, Sabrina taught over 50 children how to brush their teeth. Having the ability to brush my teeth is something I know I take for granted everyday, and is something that was so special to these children. Sabrina was also given the opportunity to do fluoride treatments on most of the children, along with educating them, and many adults, about public health. Having the opportunity to engage in such a rewarding and life-touching trip like this one is something our sister was so lucky to have been able to take part in, and we are proud to share! 

  

    

*SMH*

Alex Bretz, Natalie Alexander, and Kayla Scott's Spring Break Service Trips

This past Spring Break while many of us relaxed, traveled, and spent time with sisters, Alex Bretz, Natalie Alexander, and Kayla Scott chose to spend their spring breaks giving back to those less fortunate on service trips!  Alex traveled to Cusco, Peru and Natalie and Kayla traveled to El Salvador.

Alex is a member of Medlife at FSU and throughout the year was able to raise $1,000 to go on her trip to Cusco, Peru.  This funded primary medical services as there are many in Cusco who lack access to quality health care.  For three days, she got the chance to help run the mobile clinics and shadow physicians.  In addition, Medlife also has a Healthy Homes project and Alex was able to help out with this by installing new stoves and refurbishing rooms in a community of need.  On the last day of her trip, Alex even got to visit Machu Picchu!


















Natalie and Kayla traveled to El Salvador on a mission trip where they were able to share their faith and make a difference in the community.  They worked with an organization called Filters of Hope to install water filters around the community.  Around 98% of the water is contaminated so these filters will really make a positive difference in these peoples lives!  During this time they were also able to share their faith with many locals!  On the last day of the trip, they even got to hike a volcano!











We are so proud of Alex, Natalie and Kayla for spending their spring breaks helping those less fortunate and are so glad they had successful and safe trips!

McKayla Michaud #seniorSpotlight #WCW

Senior McKayla exemplifies all of AXO's five values. The chapter will be so sad to see her graduate in April. At Beta Eta, she served as the first vice president of collegiate recruitment information, VP-CRI, for the chapter during the Fall 2016 Recruitment. She set the bar so high by leading with fairness, class, compassion, and a calm personality. Currently, McKayla interns at Southeastern Plastic Surgery where alumna Kristen works.

Other fantastic highlights about McKayla:  She attended AXO Convention; she worked on a MEDLife trip to Peru, and she received a Melbourne Alumnae Panhellenic Scholarship.

Mckayla is second from the left

Spring Break Mission Trips!

Over Spring Break, two of our sisters went on mission trips. Jenn Coates travelled to Grenada, where she worked with a school called PAM (program for adolescent mothers). Hannah Emerson went to Riobamba, Ecuador on a MEDlife trip.

Jenn says, “girls get kicked out of school in Grenada for being pregnant so here they are able to get a ‘second chance.’ It has a day care for them to bring their children and it gives them an education as well as teach them parenting skills. When we got there, we taught about teen dating violence, so like healthy relationships, boundaries, etc. We also taught about character development, so like future goals that they had, obstacles they had to go through, and better ways of communication.”

Hannah says, “we had 3 days of clinic, which included treating patients of all ages as well as teaching the children how to brush their teeth. We had one project day where we built concrete stairs that lead and down a mountain for a community. It is incredible that in a country only a short plane ride away, everything is different. My favorite part of the trip was witnessing the impact that simple healthcare made for the different people and communities. This trip reminded me of what a privilege it is to have access to things that many of us take for granted such as running water, food and healthcare. It was amazing seeing that such a minor thing such as a toothbrush or a sticker could make a child's day.”

Winter Break: Serving Others #AltruisticAXO #FSUAXO

Many of our sisters spent their Winter break serving others on mission trips!

Savannah Brenner and Mckayla Michaud were in Peru and Katie Leatherbury was in Ecuador, all of whom were on Medlife trips. 

Mckayla describes her and Savannah’s trip to Peru: “This December, I was lucky enough to be able to travel to Cusco, Peru for 9 days on a medical mission trip through the organization MedLIFE. MedLIFE stands for Medicine, Education, Development for Low Income Families Everywhere, and we were able to provide just that. Each day a group of doctors, MEDLIFE staff, and a group of students set up a mobile clinic in a different village in Cusco. Upon arriving to the clinic, patients would be educated on different types of cancers, diabetes and general health issues, that unfortunately most knew little about. After going through the education station, patients would go to a triage (nursing) station and then would e sent to their respective medical, OBGYN and/or dental station. I was able to shadow doctors at each of these stations and watch and learn as they provided the medical care and prescriptions each patient deserved. I have come back from this trip with a new perspective on how easy it is to make an impact on someone’s life, whether it’s taking time to simply educate someone, sharing a smile and always treating every individual with the same respect and care that we all deserve. This trip has been the experience of a lifetime and Cusco will always have a place in my heart.”

Jillian Cawley travelled all the way to Uganda and says about her experience, "If only they knew how much they've changed me. Working with children who are deaf/autistic/etc. has made me so much more excited to pursue a career in speech pathology and taught me so much about compassion and life itself. All the hugs and smiles were so worth the drool and occasional slaps."

Katie in Ecuador

Savannah and Mckayla in Peru

Jillian in Uganda

Compiled by Mackenzie Murray, Publications Chair 2016