Seven years ago, as part of his family practice residency, alumnus Andrew Hurst (BA, Biology, '86; MD '90) spent one month practicing medicine on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The place was one of the poorest in the nation. Medical facilities were abysmal. The local residents were wary of Hurst, a wasicu (the Lakota word for "white person"). And yet something about Pine Ridge tugged at Hurst.

A year later, Hurst and his wife Vashti headed back to the reservation-this time to stay. They've been there ever since, working 100-hour weeks to improve the health and lives of the area's residents.

Among A&S alumni, Hurst is not alone in his desire to improve the lives of others. Examples of alumni contributions to society abound, ranging from volunteers in Seattle's classrooms to aid workers in third-world nations. But don't try to praise them for their good deeds-most insist that their actions are guided by passion rather than altruism.

"If we're humanitarians, we're selfish humanitarians," say the Hursts. "We do it because we believe this is the right thing to do. And we feel good about that."

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Helping American's "Forgotten" People

Andrew and Vashi Hurst are dedicated to improving the lives of those on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where sixty percent of the people live below the poverty level.

Experiencing Kosovo in Chaos

Letty Coffin headed for Kosovo for a six-month position with World Vision--just as the country was on the verge of chaos.

Building a Strong Region, Board by Board

Maggie Walker's list of volunteer activities runs the gamut from children's health to the arts to higher education--including serving as a member of the College Board for Arts and Sciences.

Encouraging the "Natural Philosopher" in Children

Jana Mohr-Lone has created a nonprofit organization, Northwest Center for Philosophy for Children, with the goal of introducing philosophy to children of all ages.

[Related Stories]

Observing in East Timor
A&S student Trevor Olson and Professor Elwin Wirkala were among those serving as volunteer observers for the United Nations Mission in East Timor.

For This Peace Corps Volunteer, Once Was Not Enough
A&S alumnus Charlotte Utting served in the Peace Corps--twice--after her children were grown.

[Autumn 1999 - Table of Contents]