Creating Smiles, Improving Lives

Austin Smiles Blog

Interning with AS – Impactful Journey

By Sebastian K.

Hey! My name is Sebastian Kuriakose, and I’m currently a junior at the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Canfield Business Honors with a certificate in Pre-Health Professions. I want my future career to be in craniofacial care for children, with the ultimate goal of being a pediatric craniofacial surgeon and helping to support children with cleft lip and palate, as well as other craniofacial conditions.

My internship with Austin Smiles is coming to a close in December, and overall, it has been extraordinarily impactful. Throughout the internship, under the strong leadership and guidance of Renée, Ellise, Juanita, and David, I have performed a variety of tasks to further Austin Smiles’ mission. I can confidently say that each one of them has helped me broaden my skillset, gain clinical experience, and reinforce my career aspirations. For example, packing medical supplies with David for the Honduras mission trip allowed me to gain familiarity with common surgical and post-op equipment while also letting me contribute to the mission of Austin Smiles in a hands-on way. Also, making surgical forms with Juanita for all the patients allowed me to see exactly who I was helping and strengthened my passion for making a tangible difference in their lives, as well as kids like them.

In addition, I was able to gain a deeper grasp of the fundraising side of running a nonprofit by assisting with donation management and helping Chris with accounting. This helped me develop organizational skills crucial for running business operations. I also learned about the logistics of executing large events by observing the planning of the various elements of the Wish Upon a Smile Gala and volunteering at the gala itself.

Finally, after the Honduras mission trip, I was able to see the end results of all the staff and interns’ hard work. Seeing pictures of the surgeons planning and executing surgeries, as well as the before and after pictures of the patients, was inspiring. It reminded me why I want to pursue craniofacial surgery – to transform lives and bring hope to children and families. Moments like these made my time at Austin Smiles magical, and I am thrilled that I have the privilege of spending another semester here as a lead intern!