Hurricane Hero

Wow! I totally didn’t expect to receive this award today! I got an invitation to go to a luncheon for the Dean’s List students but I didn’t know why (since I knew I wasn’t on the Dean’s List). I went, and there, the school administration presented to 8 of us certificates of appreciation for our actions during Hurricane Earl at the beginning of this semester.

It was Jubin, Arif, Peter, Joseph, Mo, Agnes, Mr. Stroschein and I. None of us planned on doing the things we did those few days during the hurricane, but somehow we found ourselves staying at the hurricane shelter at AUC and taking action, working with the administrators and faculty in making sure everything ran smoothly and everyone coming into the shelter was safe and as comfortable as possible. When the shelter became overcrowded as people risked the high winds and arrived in the shelter from their homes after getting fed up with no power and water for a few days, we documented everyone who came to campus to make sure no one was missing. We escorted people who needed to walk outside to their apartments or to their dorms to ensure they were safe. When the mattresses and sleeping mats ran out, we took action in opening up the ICM rooms so people can sleep on the cushioned examination tables, escorting them through the outside corridor to get there. We took care of leaking ceilings, accumulating trash, and replenished food and water. We were always on our feet and we took shifts sleeping. It was quite a busy, but memorable few days and as an aspiring physician, I found a lot of reward in the experience.

Today was a big surprise, and it made my day. Although I don’t feel I’m exactly a “Hurricane Hero,” as the word “hero” is a little dramatic to describe what we’ve done (i.e. we didn’t pull stranded kids and elderly out from flooded homes, etc.), it was still a really wonderful gesture by the school to recognize its students. Thank you so much!

Wow! I'm a Hurricane Hero!