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Will Canestaro is from Knoxville, Tennessee and he chose to spend this past summer volunteering in the Uttaranchal Province of India. Based in Dehra Dun, a city in the foothills of the Himalayas, he spent nine weeks working with local doctors providing free care to the local impoverished citizens. He split his time between a clinic in the nearby village of Than Gaon and traveling on foot to set up health camps at villages up to five hours away. Will helped provide a variety of care, ranging from cleaning and bandaging infections, checking and treating ear aches, to giving tetanus immunizations.
A senior sociology major, Will is uncertain of a return visit though the trip certainly had a huge impact on him. Upon his return he felt that some of daily routines seem trivial when contrasted with the aid he was giving while in India. He also commented on the drastic differences of materialism and cost: the three hundred dollars the average student spends on books each term could fund the clinic he worked in for a month. However, he reminds himself that his remaining time here at Dartmouth will only better prepare him for whatever future endeavors he embarks upon.
Will has tried not to force his story onto other people, fearing that he may overwhelm or alienate them. Instead he has worked to lead as a "silent example" to help people discover the issues and lessons he acquired in India on their own. He is, however, more than happy to discuss his trip when asked and he has some truly amazing things to tell.
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