From forensics to foreign aid: ASU student brings science and service to Peru
Cayden Perry is a fourth-year student at Arizona State University who has no problem immersing himself in lab work and exploring foreign destinations. Currently a student in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Cayden majors in forensic science and has a minor in death investigations. Cayden also has a certificate in law and human behavior, and she volunteered for a medical organization in Trujillo, Peru, for 39 days this summer.
"I've always wanted to go abroad to get a hands-on, medicine-related experience," Perry described. "Initially, I was looking at the Atlantis program, and then I read in a Barrett newsletter about the VivePeru program. It was much more affordable to me, and I was interested in the opportunity to see a healthcare system and culture besides my own."
Peru, being an upper-middle-income developing country, was a perfect contrast to the U.S. and other high-income nations where this kind of program has been carried out before. It was also where Perry could practice her Spanish while adjusting to life in a new community, as she had some background knowledge of the language.
In Trujillo, Perry was shocked at how little sex education and access to birth control there was.
"I was shadowing a gynecologist and I saw a woman who was told that she was pregnant," she explained. "The doctor explained that there could be complications and that she was heartbroken. Her husband was gone, and she had three children and did not know how in the world she could feed another child."
In Peru, it's illegal to have an abortion except in order to preserve the life or health of the mother. Perry described the experience as eye-opening: "Seeing the terror in her eyes was heart-wrenching. Most patients had very little to no access to birth control, and it was a continuous pattern.”
The experience made Perry more interested in global healthcare systems.
"No system is perfect," she described. "Seeing the issues that Peruvians have to contend with and how that compares to the U.S. and Canadian systems opened my eyes. I'd like to learn more about global disparities in healthcare in the future."
Due to her background and medical school training, she was familiar with lab procedures and medical terminology that other students might not be.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how much more hands-on ASU's program was than I ever imagined."
Outside the clinic, Perry also fell in love with the culture and the people. "Everyone was so patient and friendly. I never even felt like I was in the wrong place.”
“And the food was fantastic! I even tried chocolate that was made with cow blood."
Going through the experience also helped Perry to rebuild her resilience.
"I had a very tough semester before I went," explained Perry. "Being in a new setting was a good reminder that I do not have to have all my ducks in a row. I learned how much it was worth to jump into new things, and I gained a sense of freedom that I hadn't had in some time.”
Her tip to other students at ASU is that "you only live once. Even if you're not entirely sure that you'll love it all, go out and see the world. There are so many people who work to make opportunities like this possible. Take advantage of them. My only regret was that I waited so long to begin traveling."