This past summer, two ASB alumni found themselves in Ghana, each on a different path but both seeking a meaningful way to serve local communities. Through International Volunteer HQ, Mila Lacombe (Class of 2023) and Alejandro Whitehair (Class of 2024) dedicated part of their summer to projects that connected them deeply with local communities.

For Mila, now in her third year of medical school at UIC in Barcelona, the decision to spend her summer volunteering came naturally. “Summer gives you the time to dedicate yourself fully in a way you can’t during the school year,” she explained. Her work centered on wound care in rural communities, where she treated patients several times a week and witnessed their steady progress. “By the end of our stay, I saw real improvement in the people I worked with. Being welcomed into their homes, offered food, meeting families, or even just trying to speak the language created connections I haven’t found anywhere else.”

Ale, now in his second year studying Mathematical Engineering and Data Science at UPF, was drawn to Ghana by curiosity and a desire for a meaningful experience. “I was looking for something unique, a more sustainable way to visit a new place,” he said. While he originally joined the agriculture program, he also spent a week working in a local school. That unexpected shift became the highlight of his trip. “The personal aspect of being with the kids made it the most meaningful part for me.”

Both Mila and Ale pointed to their time at ASB as an important foundation for this kind of work. The school’s Peru service trip was a key turning point for both of them. For Mila, it offered her first glimpse into patient interaction, guided by the kindness and professionalism of ASB teachers and visiting doctors. For Ale, it was his very first volunteer experience, one that opened his eyes to the impact of service.

“Being in an international environment at ASB made me feel comfortable embracing cultural differences and forming connections,” Mila reflected, pointing to projects like Refuge Art, Clean Camp Climb, and Sharing to Learn as experiences that shaped her empathy and communication skills. Ale agreed, adding that ASB’s emphasis on tolerance and kindness prepared him for navigating the human side of service.

Although their university paths look very different, both saw Ghana as a chance to grow in ways that extend beyond academics. For Mila, her studies directly informed her service work: “A class on communication in clinical practice really helped me approach patients with empathy, understanding the trust and vulnerability involved.” For Ale, the contrast was the point. “My studies aren’t related at all to the service work I’ve done, which is exactly why I sought these opportunities. They gave me the chance to learn things completely outside my field.”

When asked what advice they’d give current ASB students, both Mila and Ale pointed to the value of stepping outside your comfort zone. “Volunteering is something everyone should do at least once,” Mila shared. “It’s a more fulfilling way to travel, and you end up making meaningful connections with a place. ASB offers so many opportunities to get started. You just have to take them.”

See more photos from their time in Ghana in the photo gallery below (must be registered/logged in to view).