On Wednesday, March 21 the 2012 International Awards Ceremony was held where Kyle Martin won the Homer Higbee International Education Award at MSU.

Kyle Martin, a medical student in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, is highly regarded for his passion and dedication to making improvements in people’s lives around the world.

Starting with an initial mission trip in 1996, Martin has become passionate about helping people in Haiti. Over the years he has helped build churches, schools and construct rain-catching gutter systems on Haitian homes. He has also helped organize the volunteer efforts of MSU pre-medical students at medical clinics in Haiti.

In 2010 when an earthquake struck Haiti and destroyed the medical clinic that Martin had been supporting, he made a personal commitment to raise the money needed to help rebuild the clinic.  Consistent with his value for hard-work, Martin entered the Tallahassee Marathon in Florida, asked friends and family to sponsor his run, and within a month he successfully raised nearly $12,000 for the clinic.

Working alongside a physician from Arkansas and Humanity First, a non-profit organization serving disaster struck and disadvantaged communities of the world, Martin helped open the Cloud Forest Medical Clinic in Baie d’Orange, Haiti in June 2010.  During the first year of operation the Cloud Forest Medical Clinic provided care to more than 8,000 patients. The clinic is also coordinating public health projects to improve water purification and sanitation in the area.

Martin continues to raise funds for the clinic. Last spring he cycled across the U.S. with other committed individuals raising a combined total of $33,000 to support the Cloud Forest Medical Clinic and its services.

Martin’s commitment to making these international efforts succeed is shown not only in the ongoing time investment but also in his tremendous fundraising efforts to support the health and well-being of people in Haiti.

Martin brings extraordinary commitment and talent to the task of reaching across cultures with education, knowledge and compassion. Earning both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Michigan State University, Kyle Martin truly represents the ideals of Homer Higbee.