Notre Dame Prep alum Clare Lilek has worked in Ecuador and Peru for the non-profit MEDLIFE, which helps bring health care and preventative care to poor communities around the world.Clare Lilek ’10 (NDP) graduated from the University of Michigan in May with a major in Women's Studies and Spanish. She now is in Lima, Peru, as an intern for MEDLIFE, which is a non-profit organization that focuses on bringing health care and preventative care to low-income communities around the world currently focusing on Peru, Ecuador, Panama, India and Tanzania. Lilek is the sister of Notre Dame upper-school English teacher Kyle Lilek.
Clare Lilek was profiled recently by MEDLIFE on its website.
MEDLIFE: Why did you get involved with MEDLIFE?
LILEK: My beginning involvement with MEDLIFE was a whirlwind. During my senior year of college, I randomly heard about an upcoming Mobile Clinic trip to Riobamba, Ecuador, and on a whim I signed up with only two months until the start date. After that initial commitment, I was in. I was in the MEDLIFE boat.
MEDLIFE: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
LILEK: I love to travel and explore, yet one of my favorite things to do is curl up on the couch with a good book and a hot cup of tea.
MEDLIFE: Why did you decide to become a MEDLIFE intern?
LILEK: I've known for a while that the "real world" isn't quite ready for me as much as I'm not ready for it. I didn't want to immediately go into more schooling or a career right after graduation from U-M because I still needed to explore the world. I craved travel and different experiences in the hopes of better informing my future path and goals. After experiencing a MEDLIFE mobile clinic trip first-hand in Riobamba, I knew that this type of work is what I would want to do during my year off. Be in a different country, speak a foreign language, meet some inspirational people, and work for something that is larger and greater than myself.
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About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. The school's upper division enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower divisions enroll students in jr. kindergarten through grade eight. All three divisions are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school's home page at www.ndpma.org.