Connecting patients to lifesaving care
Caitlin landed in Costa Rica as a language and international health student, ready to master the Spanish language and gain experience as an aspiring doctor for affluent communities. In this developing country, she lived an unexpected life — waking up before the sun, riding a bus for an hour, then walking for an hour to provide simple screenings and education to pregnant women and their families.
![Caitlin sits on a concrete stoop with a child who is wearing a stethoscope. Caitlin points to the diaphram.](https://www.clemson.edu/_images/letsbegin-mkt/caitlin/kickham-1.jpg)
![Caitlin and friend hold a tiger rag while standing in front of a large mountain.](https://www.clemson.edu/_images/letsbegin-mkt/caitlin/kickham-2.jpg)
“Despite having no money, they were able to survive, and they were happy,” she says. “‘Pura vida,’ or ‘pure/simple life,’ is their saying, and they loved their life. … When I came back, I had already decided that I no longer wanted to become a doctor and make a bunch of money, but I wanted to figure out what I could do here in our own state. I got involved with the Walhalla clinic so I could practice my Spanish, and my eyes opened to realize there are developing areas right here in Oconee County and in South Carolina.”