Student Spotlight | Alexa Sokhon
By: Ruth Zachariah
How has being a Pre-Health Mentor (PHM) impacted your undergraduate experience?
While Sokhon details that “being a first-generation and international student, [she] struggled throughout [her] undergraduate career,” she states that she “would not have made it here without the amazing pre-health guidance and support from [her] peer leaders and upperclassmen friends.”
More specifically, she mentions that “being part of the PHM team has tremendously impacted [her] undergraduate experience at Baylor” since it “allowed [her] to develop and foster a strong sense of community with other pre-health students and guide them through their undergraduate journey at Baylor. “
She found this experience enriching as it allowed the opportunity to “engage more with new students, to listen and “understand” their opinions, while also providing [her] feedback on how to improve leading other groups during the upcoming semester.”
In addition to having the opportunity to work with new students, Sokhon also emphasizes the importance of community among members as she states that “being a pre-health mentor requires interactions with other fellow pre-health mentors in order to maximize students' experience both in the course as well as during their undergraduate education.” She has found this experience to be very special for her, as she knows the significant impact that her mentors had on her in introducing and connecting her to new opportunities, and she is now “able to give back to the community that helped [her] reach where [she is] today.
How did you hear about MEDLIFE? Why did you want to help start a chapter at Baylor?
Sokhon starts by describing a little bit about this internationally-established organization, by explaining that “MEDLIFE stands for Medicine, Education, and Development for Low-Income Families Everywhere.” She mentions that the “MEDLIFE Movement is a non-profit worldwide organization that partners with low-income communities in Latin America and Africa in order to improve their access to healthcare and education.” Sokhon describes how MEDLIFE achieves its mission by “empower[ing] students and volunteers to become advocates for a change by creating on-campus chapters.” She mentions that she first heard about the organization through her friend, Mary Elhawi, who had reached out to her about starting a chapter at Baylor University. Sokhon details that by also working alongside co-founder Tomike Falebita, they were able to “officially establish the on-campus organization, recruit officers for the executive board, and advertise the mission of the organization and what it has to offer to Baylor students.” Sokhon further highlights the global establishment of this organization with chapters in Texas, Canada, California, and Lebanon.
What are some of your responsibilities as Vice President of MEDLIFE at Baylor?
Sokhon describes that “as Co-Founder and Vice President of MEDLIFE, [she] coordinates with the officers in organizing events, recruiting new members, and inviting guest speakers to our events.” Specifically, Sokhon further explains her involvement and contributions to the organization through helping “plan and organize events, including study socials, service and fundraising events, virtual shadowing, workshops, and speaker events.” By working alongside the current MEDLIFE president, Sokhon highlights that she was able to “create the pre-health mentorship program and the MCAT program in MEDLIFE, hoping to offer students more support and guidance during their pre-medical journey.” Her personal commitment to this organization and community comes from her childhood overseas, and she states that from “growing up in Lebanon, [she has] witnessed several healthcare inequities in the system.” However, MEDLIFE reminds her of her childhood in Lebanon, and it reiterates her “continued devotion to ensuring equal access to quality healthcare in underserved communities.”
What is something you are looking forward to this semester with MEDLIFE?
Sokhon mentions that with the establishment of MEDLIFE about a year and a half ago, they have 50 passionate members dedicated to this organization. She is looking forward to the continued growth of this organization, and to all the Medtalk events, where physicians and healthcare professionals share experiences and advice with students. Additionally, Sokhon is excited for all the upcoming fundraising events that will“help raise money for low-income communities.”
Sokhon states that MEDLIFE “always welcome students who are passionate to learn more about healthcare inequities,” and that they can reach out to her, at alexa_sokhon1@baylor.edu, or to their secretary, at andrea_sokhon1@baylor.edu, to officially join their community of pre-health students at Baylor.
Why did you join the Lebanese Student Association (LSA)?
Sokhon explains that her involvement in the Lebanese Student Association (LSA) was so that she could “continue to stay in touch with [her]
cultural heritage” while also being able to “bond with [her] fellow peers over [their] shared cultural background.” She notes that the organization was “founded in January 2022 with aims to unite the Lebanese community on Baylor, and educate the Baylor Community about Lebanese culture.” She joined the organization when it was founded, and currently enjoys serving on the executive board in helping coordinate all the events on campus.
Here are links for more information on the organizations that Sokhon is involved in:
Baylor MEDLIFE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baylor_medlife/
Baylor MEDLIFE new-member form: https://forms.gle/QRjQBwSDcp5WaPxR9
More information regarding the MEDLIFE Movement: https://www.medlifemovement.org/
Baylor LSA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lsabaylor/