Creating Smiles, Improving Lives

Interning with AS – Henry L.

By Henry Liu

Hello! My name is Henry, and I am currently a junior biochemistry major at the University of Texas at Austin. Interning with Austin Smiles has been an amazing experience, and getting to be a part of their mission is something that I will never forget. As a someone who is interested in getting an MD and Masters in Public Health, my time here at Austin Smiles really furthered my interest in completing those degrees and getting involved with non-profit work in the future. Through my time here, I have realized that there is a lot of effort and money that must be put in to make that difference in people who have poor healthcare access. But this is an important endeavor, and I am happy to have served as a part of a team that is dedicated to that mission.

When I came into Austin Smiles, I expected a lot of confusion and difficulty in figuring out how to support the organization and people involved. However, Renee, Ellise, and Juanita, the staff that I have worked with the most, always streamlined and guided me through what I needed to do. I loved the diversity in the tasks that I was given, whether it was grant writing, creating patient records, making slideshows for pre-triage, event planning, and fundraising. Some of these tasks were daunting, but through the help of the staff and my fellow interns, I was able to accomplish much more than I thought I was capable of.

Other than the work that needed for El Salvador trip, both before the trip and after, the majority of my time was spent on fundraising and supporting our annual Shoot for a Smile event, which brings in a lot of the money that is necessary for medical supplies and care packages for our patients. Seeing everything finally come together and people coming in to support our mission was awe-inspiring. Truly, I am excited for what the future holds for this amazing organization!