“I was afraid they would think I couldn’t handle it” — a 2015 article in The Guardian shared these words from a humanitarian aid worker about her concern regarding reaching out to her organization for mental health support.1 This article is often quoted when advocating for aid worker mental health, in which 79% of aid worker respondents reported experiencing some form of mental health issues.

Mother Nature can be a cruel lover—and few have seen her wrath like the islanders of the Federated States of Micronesia, whose tropical paradise becomes, in the harshest times, a scene of devastation and death.

That’s what happened three years ago, in the spring of 2015, when Tropical Storm Maysak raged down from the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Maysak quickly turned into a typhoon —a storm characterized by devastating winds of lethal velocity—and then tore remorselessly through the islands, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. The states of Chuuk and Yap bore the brunt of the impact.

Equipped with a backpack full of camera gear and a sturdy raincoat, I had the opportunity to document some of the work that Samaritan’s Purse is doing in Kratie Province in Cambodia, including a campaign to build a number of community birthing centers in remote villages launched earlier in the year.

Many Cambodian women give birth at home with a traditional midwife, and they are far from medical help if anything goes wrong. To date, Samaritan’s Purse has built two of these centers, and there are plans to construct more. These facilities provide women with access to quality health care before, during, and after the birth of their children.

I would like to thank Ronald Marvin, AmCham Executive Director and Daniel Mitchell, head of the CSR Committee for extending the invitation to Samaritan’s Purse to speak today regarding the Ebola outbreak and the potential threat to Cambodia. It is a privilege to be able to share with all of you today.

Samaritan’s Purse has been at the frontlines of combating the Ebola outbreak in West Africa over the past few months. The outbreak became especially personal when a Samaritan’s Purse physician, Dr. Kent Brantly, contracted Ebola while serving in Liberia.

With a container of drawing tools in one hand and a portfolio of reclaimed materials in the other, senior art major Jason Leith walks the streets of Skid Row, looking to meet someone and draw their portrait. Leith has been doing this for the last few months. He will walk through the neighborhood for up to an hour — sometimes he meets someone, sometimes he doesn’t.

Each of these portraits will be a part of Leith’s senior show, Sacred Streets. His show will be held in a structure he and his team are building behind Union Rescue Mission, right in the heart of Skid Row. Leith’s desire is to bring art to a community that would not have access to it otherwise.

With finals week right around the corner, it is the perfect time to start planning your study spots and your study breaks. Having worked as a barista for a number of years, I have a deep appreciation for a well-crafted latte or quality brew. Coupled with an enjoyable atmosphere, I find coffee shops to be the perfect respite from end-of-the-semester stress. Whether you’re a coffee connoisseur or still acquiring the taste of it, check out some of these coffee shops for a taste of something new.