Salem College Students Volunteer at Wake Forest University School of Medicine Health Fair

Salem College Spanish students recently joined Wake Forest University School of Medicine’s annual Share the Health Fair, held at the Downtown Health Plaza in Winston-Salem. The event provides free health screenings, medical consultations, and information about community health resources to residents, regardless of their health insurance status. Professor Ana León-Távora, Director of World Languages and Cultures and Race and Ethnicity at Salem College, was invited by Wake Forest University School of Medicine to coordinate student volunteers to assist Spanish-speaking members of the Latino community attending the fair. Fourteen students enthusiastically responded to the invitation, primarily from Professor León-Távora’s Spanish Translation course, along with students enrolled in Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition.

Working alongside Wake Forest University students, Salem volunteers were assigned to various health information stations, including women’s health, bone density, mental health, pediatrics, pulmonary health, among others. While professional medical interpreters handled clinical interpretation, Salem students provided valuable linguistic and cultural support by helping Spanish-speaking visitors navigate the event, understand available resources, and connect with the appropriate health information stations.

Students could volunteer for the morning shift, the afternoon shift, or both. Several students generously committed to serving throughout the entire event, demonstrating their dedication to community engagement and service.

The experience gave Salem students a meaningful opportunity to apply their Spanish-language skills in a real-world setting while helping improve access to community health resources. It also highlighted the importance of linguistic accessibility, intercultural communication, and civic engagement in addressing barriers faced by underserved communities.

At the conclusion of the event, Professor León-Távora received numerous expressions of appreciation and enthusiastic praise for the outstanding contributions of Salem’s student volunteers. Wake Forest organizers also expressed their interest in continuing the partnership through future community service opportunities.

This successful collaboration reflects Salem College’s commitment to experiential learning, community engagement, and preparing students to use their academic knowledge and linguistic skills to make a meaningful difference in others’ lives.