JaylinE Maite Perez Garcia
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The most important moment of my life was when I received the news that I was going to college. Growing up in the northwest side of Chicago, being raised by my paternal grandparents – my immigrant parents were always working in the factories to provide for our family, and being raised in a neighborhood where gang violence, drug trafficking, police brutality, and gun violence was normalized – my three sisters and I were raised living in survival mode. Attending academia university was a dream – I always thought about the HUGE financial and emotional support I could provide my community if I ever became someone important in life. Throughout many life experiences in healthcare – health disparities – I decided to be on the premed route. I aspire to be a neurosurgeon, a role model for my sisters, cousins, and community, and an outlet for many more Latina women that need their voices heard. Receiving my bachelor’s from Roosevelt University at age 20 was a heavy-weighted success because it wasn’t just for me. Before the pandemic, I used to “live” in the 7th floor WB tutoring room with the chemistry and biology tutors – without their support, I would’ve never passed. The constant battles with imposter syndrome and the fate of believing in myself although the majority of my professors and a lot of my peers did not look like me or weren’t going through the same struggles at home – only made me want to continue fighting for my dreams. I constantly thought about the fact that there were a few students that looked like me and wanted to pursue medicine, therefore, we needed to have our safe space. When I established LatinMed and Allies at Roosevelt University, I continued with the vision of one day allowing other powerful voices to be heard. The most important takeaway from my life is the simple phrase, “close mouths don’t get fed”. I applied to internships, applied to scholarships, applied to positions (like this one), and even founded/established my own pre-med program at a teaching hospital in Chicago! I applied even if I didn’t feel qualified, I applied even if I knew I could potentially get rejected. I did get rejected many more times than I ever got accepted. However, I told my story, my goals, and my vision to many important people at Roosevelt University and other institutions. They believed in me enough to be where I am today. Currently, I am working 40+ hours/week in about three different fields. Education, healthcare, and research. I strongly believe that my purpose is to mentor, educate, and serve those from underrepresented communities like mine. I started to interpret in Spanish at the age of 8 to my parents and grandparents. Last week, I was interpreting in Spanish for my eyebrow lady’s customer. It is a privilege to be bilingual. I will understand MANY patients and their stories as they can be just like my parents, aunties, uncles, and grandparents. It is with great honor to be your Science Peer Advisor (SPA) Coordinator. You’re all-powerful people. Never forget, close mouths don’t get fed.
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Aditi Vala
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Hi Everyone!! My name is Aditi and I will be a Junior this Fall of 2022 majoring in Biology. I plan to become a Physician Assistant in the near future, and as being a first-generation student, I’ll make that goal of mine to come true!
I have a lot of support from my family as being the first person to go to college from my immediate family. Their dreams help push me to do better, even through all the ups & downs. At the end of the day, I choose what’s best for myself and try my best to fulfill my goals. The goal of becoming a Physician Assistant is something I want to do for myself. The idea of giving back and helping patients get better is so amazing to me and my vision of being in the healthcare field became more clear once I started working as a PCT (or CNA) at a Rehabilitation hospital. I have been working as a CNA since January 2022 & have loved every moment of it. Seeing & meeting new faces & learning their stories + diagnoses is so much more than just a job or hours for PA school. The lessons I’ve learned and experiences I have had in just 6 months are things I will hold very close to me to help better myself as a person and healthcare provider one day! With working + volunteering + shadowing, I have a solid start to succeed and make my way into the medical field. But outside those countless hours is also a sister, mentor, friend who loves the idea of giving back to people with my knowledge. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me and although it may be long, I know it’ll all be worth it at the end. As much as I’m here for myself and patients, I hope to be there for mentees + students like me, where we all can support each other! |
Kimberly catalan
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I'm a senior currently doing Clinicals at Northwestern University for the Nuclear Medicine program. My schedule is undeniably hectic, but my passion for learning keeps me energized and motivated. I find immense joy in assisting others on their academic and professional journeys, offering my support and knowledge whenever I can. My end goal is not so clear yet, i feel as if there are many routes I can take and I'm excited to delve into them once I graduate in August of 2024. I love to travel and learn about different cultures so you could say my goal is to learn as much as possible and have fun doing it!
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Alfredo Guzman
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Hello, my name is Alfredo Guzman, and I am one of the SPA members this Fall 2022. I am currently a senior majoring in biology. I look forward to making new connections and passing on my knowledge and experiences to my mentees. My future goal is to attend Grad school with a focus on neuroscience and go into medical school after in hopes of becoming a neurosurgeon with a research background. As a new SPA mentor, I am looking forward to making new connections and helping guide the future doctors, physicians, scientists, teachers, etc. of our world. I look forward to creating a better learning environment for our mentees and discovering new opportunities and options with my fellow mentors.
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