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Avery Smith

AS

Fundraising Co-Chair 2026-2027

Hi everyone! My name is Avery Smith, and I am a senior from Hambleton, WV. I'm majoring in biochemistry with a minor in equine studies.

I initially heard about brigades from the freshman student org fair before classes started my freshman year. I remember going up to the table and meeting some of the previous officers at the table. They were super sweet and informative. The interaction was incredibly positive and left an impression. I knew that the organization followed a holistic model that focused on supporting rural communities and making sustainable change. After I left, I remember pulling up this page and the Global Brigades website. Everything that I read about continued to grow my interest and determination to be part of the group. I knew it could give me the opportunity to provide sustainable change for resource-reduced regions of the world not dissimilar to those in Appalachia. I have been fortunate enough to brigade every year during my time at WVU, and each brigade left the same positive impression as the student org fair did. The time I have spent in rural Honduras and Panama has provided me with valuable skills. Watching the doctor-patient interactions in our clinics, using Spanish skills to interact with people of different backgrounds, and practicing triage in a high-speed clinic setting has added to my personal skill set. In addition to the clinics, the public health projects we participate in allow us to see the physical impact of our work and understand the manual labor associated with bettering rural communities. The skill preparation, class, and the brigade itself provide the opportunity to better view medicine from a sociological lens. This has been the best experience of my collegiate career by far. If I could recommend anything at WVU, it would be this organization. If you are at all interested, apply! You do not need to be interested in pursuing a career in medicine to join and make an impact. Feel free to reach out to Professor Brewster or any of us officers with questions!