NSUCO - The Visionary Fall 2017

10 • NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY and every time they saw me in the hallway, they would come over and interact with me,” she explained. “They didn’t speak a word of English, so we couldn’t talk to each other at all. But we always had this flow of communication. I would always see them when I came in, and they would always wave to me. You realize you can have this language barrier, this cultural distance, but you still can connect with people.” Now, Schaefer is looking forward to finding her first job, ideally in a family practice in South Florida. And, she’s quick to recognize that her experience in China will last a lifetime. “I realized that no matter how different someone is, you can create a relationship, you can find something in common, you can connect with anybody. Because I was there by myself, I had to be very open to making new connections and relationships,” she said. “I’ve made it my personal mission to share a smile with every patient I have. I’ve really found it so much easier. I feel I can connect with anyone after this, no matter how different they are.” c Top: Schaefer’s first day at the Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital Center and bottom: Schaefer poses with Chinese optometrists from the hospital. Continued from page 9