My name is Yaidel Alvare, and I am currently a first year podiatric medical student at Barry University. At the age of 16 my family and I moved to Miami from Cuba. I am the first generation to attend college graduating in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Florida International University. While at FIU, I had the chance to attend two separate medical mission trips to Haiti that allowed me to exercise my passion for people and culture. Eager to develop a deeper understanding of global health, I am excited to attend my third mission trip, this time to Dominican Republic in the Spring of 2019.