Chonnalin Sumonthee
Internship
Children Beyond Our Borders is a non-profit organization that provides underprivileged Latin students in Gainesville & Latin America sustainable access to education. As a Health Education intern for the Fall 2021 semester, I created two videos for children in English & Spanish about good oral hygiene habits and reducing dental anxiety. In addition, I helped write grants for funding with the rest of the Health Education team and helped coordinate a free health screening in December, at which I hosted my own oral hygiene games and reading station with my children’s book to entertain & educate young patients. Through my projects, I was able to equip Spanish-speaking children and families with health literacy to take their health into their hands.
Click to watch the videos I made for my internship!
I was featured in the Beyond120 Newsletter for Fall 2021!
What's next after this internship?
In my semester-long internship on the Health Initiatives Team with Children Beyond Our Borders, I’ve experienced so much personal, professional, and social growth through the process of working on my projects and responsibilities. With COVID restrictions slowly but surely lifting, and an increased amount of support and funding with the success from our Satchel’s Cares grant, CBOB hopes to start providing dental care again at our free clinics for the community. I hope to play a role in bringing these essential services back to the community, as dental care is often seen as a luxury to most people, due to difficult and expensive insurance barriers. However, if reopening dental services is not yet possible, I will continue to assist in the organization and promotion of the free health clinics and health screenings we currently provide and also continue managing my oral healthcare and reading station for kids.
After this internship, my goals did not merely remain the same; they have developed even more. My belief in my life’s purpose and my desire to accomplish them has grown greatly as a result of the experiences I’ve had with Children Beyond Our Borders. I love how I’ve been able to combine my academic/career passions with my personal interests, into one experience.
The most valuable skills I have gained from this internship are project management and self evaluation. Project management has been essential to my success in this internship. Self-assessment includes setting deadlines for myself, consulting with my directors and coordinators on my own accord, and evaluating my progress to identify where I need additional direction or where I can go the extra mile. Project management involves creating deadlines, supply lists, and necessary contacts, and preparing for mistakes in the process. With so many people on the CBOB team and the large population of people they serve, I must keep up with the momentum of their mission and do my part to ensure that my projects meet their standard. In my career as a dentist, I will be working with thousands of patients, each case a unique project. I will be organized with their paperwork and take the time to write down their personal concerns and feelings so that I can provide the best care.
Regardless of if I decide to continue as part of the CBOB team, I know I will always have a great connection in the Gainesville community from now on.