Backpacks of Compassion: PA Students Inspiring Journey to Service in the Philippines

During a serendipitous ER rotation, Mackenzie Ursin and Victor Gagno, both Physician Associate students found themselves united by a common passion for service.

Gragno had fond memories of his time spent in the Philippines and Urshin recalled the three annual backpack fundraisers to the Philippines she had organized as an undergrad.

It was there between ER rotations that they hatched an thoughtful plan to support an elementary school students in the Philippines with their backpack project.

Urshin and Gragno reached out to fellow PA students from the classes 2023 and 2024, handing out 50 empty backpacks with the expectation they would be filled with school supplies. The response was overwhelming—each bag was meticulously packed, revealing not just the school supplies but also the abundant care that went into packing each bag.

Their collective effort not only equipped young students in the Philippines with essential school supplies, but also strengthened the sense of community and purpose among the Physician Associate students of classes 2023 and 2024.