When Anna Dolhansky, ’14, got on a ship, she wasn’t going on vacation. With her bags packed, she was headed to the other side of the world with Africa Mercy (also known as Mercy Ships) to use her education to make an Explorer impact.

Mercy Ships is a non-profit organization that takes ships to underserved nations around the world, bringing healthcare to people who can’t afford it. “The ship itself (Mercy Ships) focuses on surgeries and surgical procedures,” she said. “They also offer agriculture and education services for sustainability in underdeveloped countries.”

Anna works as a ward nurse, focusing on facial surgery, especially large facial tumors, cleft lips, and cleft palates. “I work with a lot of babies who have tumors removed and facial reconstruction,” she explained.

Going into nursing at La Salle was a natural choice for Anna who says she was inspired by her grandmother and mother, who were both nurses. “I’ve always had a passion for helping people. Realizing that there are so many avenues available with nursing—traveling and making a difference—I just knew it matched my personality and would tie together well with my interest in missionary work.”

Her interest in mission work is why she jumped at the chance to work with the Africa Mercy organization. “I had a friend who worked with them a year before me and she told me all about it,” she said. “I was already looking for opportunities to go overseas as a pediatric nurse, so I knew this opportunity would be perfect for me.”

The experience Anna has had abroad has been nothing short of life-changing. “There  are just so many stories,” she said. “One of our little kids came to us with a cleft palate. It was really hard for her to eat and be healthy, so we took her into our eating program—watching her grow from being malnourished to actually gaining weight and now being healthy enough for the appropriate surgeries—I’ve gotten so close with her and her mom and I know it’s made such a huge difference in her life.”

The basics she learned here in La Salle’s nursing program is what she says she always  “Coming into developing nations, they just don’t have what you would find back home,” she said. “The core basics I learned at La Salle have been so helpful for me here.”

Anna has also been able to use her experience with dorm living and as part of the soccer team to help her adapt on the ship. “The camaraderie of the team and also of living so close to so many people really comes in handy,” she said. “And of course, the mission of service and helping the underserved has prepared me.”

Before her time with Mercy Ships, Anna worked for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a pediatric nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit, and then in the NICU at the University of Washington in Seattle. But, she says, returning to normal life back in Seattle will definitely be challenging.

“It’s an honor to work here,” she said. “I’m happy and honored I was chosen to come aboard this ship and to be able to see this work firsthand. The people here are so hardworking and passionate because everybody gave up something to be here.”

Being away from her friends and family hasn’t always been easy, but she says she’s blessed to have so much faith and support. “I don’t think I’d be doing this if I didn’t have faith,” she said. “So, I spend some quiet time reading my Bible and reflecting on what He wants me to do. And my friends and family stay in touch with me daily and send me messages reminding me that they’re thinking about me.”

What Anna says she has learned the most is gratitude. “I see people here who don’t have water and are eating out of dumpsters,” she said. “Until you see it, you don’t really understand it. How these kids grow up just breaks my heart. Working here has definitely given me a better perspective and helped me see things differently and not take for granted back home.”

As she returns home, Anna hopes to complete her master’s in anesthesia and says she will continue to do missionary work with her life. “I’m going to continue on this path for sure,” she said. She added “and hopefully I’ll eventually add in a family, too, who will want to join me on these adventures,” proving that sometimes the best journeys have no ending.