Mari Sulukyan and Jazmin Hurtado: Global Brigaders and Public Health Advocates

In light of the new year and all the resolutions intended to mold ourselves into a better human being, we have duel campus celebrities this week who continually strive to aid their fellow man. Mari Sulukyan and Jazmin Hurtado, Co-Presidents of CSULA Global Brigades, are more than familiar with volunteer work and giving back to the community throughout the year. After a brigade to Nicaragua this past summer bringing medical and public health services to underserved communities, these two ladies are seeking to expand the Global Brigades chapter here on campus and get involved in more local community service events.

“Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself, which is why I’ll admit that I love to take showers. Because to me, a shower is a shortened term for ‘personal concert hall,’ where my #1 fans, maybe my only fans, are Mr. Loofah, Mrs. Soap, and President Rubber Ducky”

Jazmin is a 4th year senior and a transfer student from Mount St. Mary’s College. Majoring in Exercise Science and Bioscience with a minor in Child Psychology, Jazmin plans to become a physical therapist who specializes in working with children who have disabilities. She currently works for Los Angeles Parks and Recreation as a coach and sports coordinator. 

“I am obsessed with video games! God of War – all time fav! And I love extreme adventures like sky-diving, parasailing, and zip-lining.” 

Mari is a 5th year senior and a transfer student from Fresno City College. Majoring in Public Health Mari plans to continue to work in the Global Health industry. Her focus right now is on her education and the Global Brigades chapter here on campus. 

Tell us a little about how you each found out about and came to join the Global Brigades chapter here on campus. 

Mari – I was sitting in class one day, looked to my right, and saw a flyer on the bulletin board.  It was like an instant spark.  I’d been interested in doing something like this for years! Within minutes, I emailed the campus president at the time, Peter (now our campus chair), and the rest is history.  

Jazmin – My boyfriend and I were speaking about volunteering internationally after graduation. His father showed me a flyer about Global Brigades and what they were all about. The next day, as I was leaving campus I saw a table with a sign that read “Global Brigades”. I signed up for their email list, then I attended their info session, and instantly I knew I wanted to be part of this organization.

Can one of you sum up what exactly Global Brigades is? What does our chapter here at CSULA do? 

Mari – Global Brigades is the largest student –led volunteer organization in the nation.  We have established ourselves in developing countries such as Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Ghana.  The main purpose of our organization is to empower communities to become self-sustaining and self-sufficient.  Our homegrown chapter at CSULA partakes in both international and local efforts.  Our purpose on campus is to raise awareness of the health disparities that exist locally and globally.  We’ve planned and continue to plan local volunteer opportunities in which our members are encouraged to engage in all aspects of health.  Our ultimate goal every year is to travel to a country in which we have partnerships and provide Medical/Dental/Public Health aid.  

What was it like going to Nicaragua and visiting the underserved communities there? What were/are some of the specific needs of the community you visited? 

Jazmin – Going out to Nicaragua was truly an experience I will never forget.  It was an eye opener that made me fall in love with medicine and the desire to help people in need.  The people in the community that we visited and helped were very humble. I personally spent most of my time there with the children.  We noticed that most of these children were malnourished but even then they still smiled and you can feel the love and gratitude for everything we were doing. These people lacked local medical services and clean water, which is why most of them complained of the same symptoms that are due to parasitosis. 

Mari – For me it was quite the humbling experience as well as the most rewarding.  I’ve never had more fun being exhausted.  Going to Nicaragua lifted the blinds – so to speak.  People there didn’t have access to basic needs such as clean, running water or proper housing.  Most people in the communities live on $1/day.  Access to medical and dental care is incredibly difficult as there is something like 1 dentist for every 20,000 people.  The need is great and the help is limited.

Did either of you experience culture shock? How was the lifestyle for the community you visited different from ours? Did you like the food? 

Mari – Absolutely! This may sound silly, but the thing I missed the most was ice. Yes, ICE! We didn’t have ice while we were there.  I didn’t so much mind the absence of consistent hot water or even the sweat from the extreme humidity, but I sure missed that ice.  The people in the communities, however, seemed quite content with what they had.  They always had a smile on their face and were extremely welcoming.  The food was good! I just wasn’t used to having rice and beans every meal, 3x a day. Haha. Let’s just say I’m still adjusting.  I think the real culture shock set in when we travelled back to the United States – reverse-culture shock! 

Jazmin – I didn’t really experience any culture shock. If anything, I was amazed by how simplistic everyone lived and how much happier they seemed that way.   Most of us here go crazy when we are away from our phones for a couple hours, or when we can’t afford the latest gadgets and fashion trends, when over there people can barely afford to feed their families. I loved the food out there! I was actually use to the majority of the food, which was probably why I was able to digest it much easier than my fellow brigaders. What I wasn’t used to was eating three large meals everyday rather than several small meals.

The next brigade coming up in September 2015 is for Honduras. Tell us a little about how GB-CSULA are preparing for the trip? 

Jazmin – As of now we are planning several large events to help fundraise to buy all the medical and dental supplies we will need out there. We will also be doing toy drives and school supply drives to take with us to give out to the children of the community as well as the local orphanage. We will be hosting several workshops and local events to help prepare our team or should I say “familia”, for what to expect, and to make sure we can serve the community at the best of our ability. 

Mari – To add to what Jazmin has already said, we will be holding workshops to better prepare our members in aspects related to the triage (taking basic vitals, recording symptoms), Medical Spanish, packing for the trip, and personal fundraising.  The leadership team will further handle aspects related to actual travel logistics (flights, room/board, etc.).  It’s been quite a busy quarter already. 

Are there any goals that members and the group have to meet prior to embarking on the trip? Such as # of people, donations, money?

Mari – Our goal is to raise, at minimum, $2500 to cover the cost of our basic Brigade box.  Furthermore, each member will need to raise money to fund their personal trip.  We are actually working to surpass the goal of $2500 so we can chip away at individual costs.  Ideally, we’d love to have 40-45 people on our next Brigade. 

Jazmin – Basically each brigader will have to pay $1560 for themselves, and we’re hoping that we could get people to donate the majority of that money. It is all for a good cause and not only will they be changing the lives of the people in Honduras, but this will also be giving every brigader the experience of a lifetime. And to us that is priceless.

Where/When can we expect to see GB-CSULA next on campus? 

Jazmin – Well you can always find us on campus. We do at least one major fundraiser per month. But for anyone that wants to be part of GB, you can contact us through our website csulabrigades.com and we can meet with you at your disposal.

Mari – We also do weekly, sometimes biweekly, nacho sales around campus; occasionally with a fun theme to attract students to our tables.  We’ll be selling food and beverages as well as our exclusive water bottles and t-shirts. ALL proceeds will go directly to our Brigade funds used to purchase medicine (OTC) and supplies.  There will also be information flyers available for potential members and an opportunity to join the campus chapter.  Furthermore, we will be holding quarterly medicine and supply drives on campus to try and acquire all that we need that is not included in the brigade box.  We have some other exciting plans for this new year too and will keep you all posted as they are confirmed.

What is the next local community service event that you guys will be hosting/participating in? 

Mari – We have two events in January – Habitat for Humanity and the Compton Initiative.  We will provide further information on campus via flyers and on our webpage as soon as dates and times are finalized. 

Jazmin – If you’re interested in checking out what we’ll be doing, all events can be seen on our calendar on the csulabrigades website.  It’s updated weekly.

Any memorable stories from your time in Nicaragua?

Jazmin – On the last day, Helma (one of my close friends now) and I got to work side by side with one of the doctors. He gave us some hands on experiences, mentored us, and by the end of the day he allowed us to do his job under his supervision. We listened to the patients chief complaint, reviewed all the signs and symptoms, did physicals, and then prescribed the appropriate medication which he looked over. It broke our hearts to have to tell a woman that she had a tumor in her breast, that could possibly be cancer. I also remember the first time that I taught the children how to brush their teeth. I didn’t realize that I should have told them to spit away from each other… after they rinsed their mouths out, they spit facing me which got my scrubs and shoes soaked in children spit. I brushed my teethed over 7 times a day those three days we were there with them, but it was all worth it.

Mari – What can I say! The entire trip was a memorable story!  Going to Nicaragua reconfirmed my passion for what I want to do with my life- fight global disparities and empower individuals and communities.  I loved interacting with the locals, immersing myself in their culture, and disconnecting from the technologically saturated world in the United States.  It was refreshing being able to walk around in our compound and stopping to watch ants carry their food or getting caught in the torrential downpours.  One of my most favorite moments came on the last day of our Brigade in the village of Abisinia.  We played with the children from the village, we danced with the locals. We said our goodbyes and see-ya-laters and drove away with a newfound sense of self and others.  It was magical.

Do either of you have a list of what one should bring with them on this kind of trip and what to leave behind? I.e. curling iron – yeh or nay? 

Mari – A reusable water bottle is a must! Other necessary items would be comfortable clothing and shoes, snacks, bug spray, toiletries, and a positive attitude and eagerness to learn.  Honestly, you can leave the curling iron at home.  Your hair will most likely be in a ponytail or messy bun the entire trip. Also, make sure you leave enough space for souvenirs.  EVERYBODY took home souvenirs.  It’s part of the experience. Haha! 

Jazmin – Definitely no curling iron . But baby wipes are a must! As well as a light weight rain jacket. Bug repellent, more than one pair of closed toe comfy shoes. Oh and snacks. Mari and I were notorious for having snacks at all times!

How can other students help? Or if they would like to learn more about the Brigade and possible join, how can they go about that? 

Jazmin – We are always more than willing to meet up with anyone at anytime to tell them more about what we do and who we are.  But they can always look for us on social media and look at our websites.  Anyone can help, they don’t necessarily have to go with us on the trip. “ we rise to lift others, one footstep at a time”. So imagine what we can do if more and more people take that first step in the same direction. Be sure to follow us on Instagram @csula_globalbrigades 

Mari – Our chapter is open to ANYONE with a passion to make a difference in the lives of others.  In fact, individuals who are not students can also join us on next year’s Honduras Brigade.  If anyone is interested in joining, they can check us out on our website, www.csulabrigades.com (where they’ll be able to sign up, pay member fees, and link up with our Empowered.org page to sign up for the actual Honduras 2015 brigade). They can also follow us on Facebook – CSULA Global Brigades or email us at calstatelaglobalbrigades@gmail.com.  If they’d like to personally contact me, here is my address… marisulukyan@gmail.com.

It definitely sounds like you two have your hands full with this. How do you manage your time spent as co-presidents of this club with your school work, job outside of school, as well as any other priorities? 

Mari – It definitely takes a lot of hard work, discipline, communication and, most importantly, time-management.  It really has come down to prioritizing and creating lists.  We hold weekly online meetings with board members to discuss upcoming events and to coordinate necessary actions.  The calendar on my wall and in my binder has never been more loved. It has been quite the learning experience, but I must say, I am truly enjoying it. 

Jazmin –  Honestly, it is difficult to keep up with everything, but I have an amazing support system. My co-prez keeps me grounded, and I feel I do the same for her.  And when we need help we run to our chairman Peter Ewing as well as our Vice president of Medical Jonathan Flores. He’s actually my go to man while Mari is my go to girl.  Other than that, daily planners are my best friends.

Are either of you two graduating sometime soon? If yes, what does that mean for your continued involvement in GB-CSULA? 

Jazmin – I should be graduating next summer. But even after that I plan on sticking around and participating in the next brigade. Global brigades is now a huge part of my life, and will always be. 

Mari – I’m set to graduate Spring 2015 and plan on staying an active member of the chapter here at CSULA.  I believe Jazmin and I, as well as the rest of our incredible leadership team, can benefit the organization long after our departure from CSULA.  After all, we’ve been a part of it from its beginning, have dealt with the growing pains, and would love to see where the passionate students of the present and future can take the Global Brigades at CSULA.

• community service
• global brigades
• honduras
• Public Health