Rafael Genao, Jr. Clinical Coordinator, Massachusetts MENTOR
Grant Recipient, Students Without Borders

As a student in Daemen College’s Physician Assistant program, Rafael helped found Students Without Borders, an organization that organizes humanitarian medical missions. Initially, a small group of students, a doctor and a translator provided health care to the poor for one week in 2001. Six years later, Students Without Borders has increased the number of students, faculty and staff traveling to the same remote village—Prograso Dos in the state of San Pedro de Macoris—and they are serving more and more people: 625 during their most recent trip.

Rafael and his fellow students pay their own airfare and raise money for the trips through dinners, walk-a-thons and the generosity of faculty members.

Rafael’s dream is to create his own nonprofit organization that expands the reach of Students Without Borders to other states in the Dominican Republic and to other countries. Students Without Borders will receive a $500 grant from The Foundation in honor of Rafael’s volunteer spirit and hard work.