By Jamie Winston

Lily Marsden, a first-year medical student, was never active in humanitarian work until she attended college.

Last summer in Yanamono, Peru, Marsden attended to patients eight hours a day as people lined outside the clinic. Because of her background in dermatology, patients with skin problems were directed to her.

During the school year, Marsden volunteered with the Maliheh Charity Clinic, a medical center for the working poor, setting up two to three dermatology clinics a month. She also did similar work at the Fourth Street Clinic in Salt Lake City.

For the past two years, Marsden acted as the master of ceremonies at the annual Lowell Bennion Community Service Center’s Hunger Banquet, which generated six large boxes of food for the food bank and about $1,000 for Oxfam America, a non-profit organization committed to preventing hunger, social injustice and poverty worldwide.

For her efforts, Marsden won a $1,000 scholarship from the YouthLinc Young Humanitarian program given to college students based on humanitarian service they have performed.

Incoming Freshman Don Willie won the top prize: a $5,000 scholarship.

Willie’s humanitarian experience includes helping overseas troops, Ute Indian foster children, special needs students and people in Ghana, Africa.

One of Willie’s most extensive projects was Boxes for Battalions, which involved sending care packages to the troops in Iraq. A total of 120 boxes full of the packages were sent to the 115th Maintenance Company, along with $3,000 in donations.

Willie’s work has even taken him to the U.S. Senate where he worked as an aide to Senator Bob Bennett in Washington D.C. this past year.

“(All my volunteer work) has changed my life a lot,” Willie said.

About 78 people applied for the scholarships, coming from all over the state, said Terry Palmer, YouthLinc local service coordinator.

Courtesy of YouthLINC

Jamie Kearl (East High Senior), Daniel Blake (BYU Freshman), Don Willie (East High Senior), Mary Kay Huntsman, Kreig Adair (Monticello High School Senior), Lily Marsden (U of U Senior)

Courtesy of YouthLINC