Luke Ochsenbein

Dental Brigades Vice President 2023-2024; Charla Co-Chair 2022-2023

Hi everyone! My name is Luke Ochsenbein and I was the Dental Brigades Vice President.

I first learned about WVU Global Medical and Dental Brigades through my sophomore year biology class. After reading more about the work of Global Brigades, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. Learning more about the unique challenges and inequalities we face not just in the communities of Morgantown, but in rural communities abroad has given me an interest in public health I never would’ve predicted prior to joining. We were fortunate enough to brigade in the Darien province of Panama this past spring break, which I can say for myself was personally the hardest, but best thing I’ve been a part of in my life. In those 10 days, I was completely vulnerable and opened myself up to new ways of thinking, learning, and understanding myself and our world. Since then, I’ve already experienced personal growth and had feelings that are difficult to put into words, but the way I approach my life and interactions with others has been forever changed. Working side-by-side with my peers and leaning on and listening to each others’ experiences has brought me together with some truly amazing and unique people. Regardless of your major or future goals, the way we interact with medicine, healthcare, and our communities is something we all can relate to with our own personal stories. I’m so excited for our next brigade, and I encourage anyone to read about our work and consider applying! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any of us or Professor Brewster!