Gilman scholar gains global health perspective during Belize study abroad program

By Gil Pound

S enior Olivia Shuman did not just gain valuable experience and make memories during her recent study abroad in Belize - she made a difference.

The exercise science major administered free healthcare across generations, from elementary school children to residents of an elderly care facility in the Central American nation.

"The experience reinforced and solidified my desire to pursue occupational therapy," said Shuman, a native of Griffin, Georgia. "It also helped me understand how to adapt healthcare to meet the needs of different populations. I feel like I communicate better now and can connect with people from different backgrounds."

Shuman is one of several GCSU students awarded a U.S. Department of State Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to pursue study abroad opportunities this summer. The Gilman Program provides merit-based scholarships to talented American undergraduates to study or intern outside the United States, equipping them with international experience, global networks and foreign language skills. Shuman chose Georgia College & State University's long-running Public Health study abroad in Belize.

"I was really shocked when I learned I received the Gilman Scholarship because I knew how competitive the program was due to the number of applicants," Shuman said. "More than anything I was super excited and felt such a weight off my shoulders. It allowed me to go into my study abroad focused on the work I would be doing."

Shuman and her fellow Bobcats took what they learned in a stateside classroom to the Caribbean coastal country. They set up health screenings in local markets, at the Belize Natural Energy plant and even at the hotel they were staying in. Belizeans could have several key health indicators checked, such as blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose and cholesterol.

"We ran them through the whole screening process," said Shuman. "Based on their results we would ask them about their history and discuss recommendations. If someone had high blood glucose, for example, we would refer them to the hospital to get tested for diabetes."

More work was done in the name of improving health outcomes. Shuman led police officers, high school students and Belize scouts - the Belizean equivalent of Boy and Girl Scouts - in various training sessions, including how to administer lifesaving CPR and use an automated external defibrillator in the event of a cardiac arrest. She also trained those groups on how to save an infant from choking.

"Training the police department was a super cool experience because that's not something I thought I would ever be given the opportunity to do," Shuman said. "Police here in the U.S. are trained in all those things. They weren't in Belize, which was kind of shocking."

Shuman called a visit to an elementary school for a dental hygiene clinic "unforgettable," and not just because it happened to be on her birthday.

"The school and the kids were so incredibly excited and thankful we were there," she said. "We were greeted outside with signs and balloons. They held a welcome assembly and danced for us. It felt like we weren't doing enough to deserve all they did. We were just giving them toothbrushes and showing them how to brush their teeth, but it was everything to them."

With a new perspective on health outside the United States, Shuman says she's already looking into other study abroad opportunities to gain even more international experience.

"The Belize program was incredible," she said. "I heard amazing things about it before going and it definitely lived up to my expectations, if not more. It's something that's hard to describe unless you experience it."

Header Images: Shuman and her fellow Bobcats conducting health screenings, infant choking training and dental hygiene clinics at several locations across Belize. (Photos: Olivia Shuman)