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Be Bold! Be Brave! Be You!
I am an equity and justice tigress! I have always been uniquely agitated by inequities, injustices, and unnecessary suffering. There has always been a fire within me to advocate loudly, support unique needs, and exceed the expectations of historically marginalized individuals and groups.
As a young girl in elementary school, I had aspirations of becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner and a civil rights attorney. I had it all figured out, too. I would work as a lawyer during the day and as a nurse practitioner in the evenings. As I got older, I realized the schedule would be exhausting and unsustainable. As a teenager, I was fortunate to attend a high school that offered vocational academies. This enabled me to pursue nursing as a high school student, engage in clinicals at the local hospital and nursing home, and take my state exams to become a Certified Nursing Assistant. During my high school clinical experiences, I observed inequities in patient care and facility amenities. These inequities were created by differences in insurance types and socioeconomic status, which ultimately intersected with race and created a hierarchy of quality of care and quality of life. There was the regular and short staff side of this nursing home, and then there was the wealthy side of the nursing home. Based on the artifacts and smell, you would know which side you were on. This was very unsettling.
In college, I started out in nursing and later switched my major to Health Education. Educating individuals from marginalized groups and communities in a way that was engaging and easy to understand was and remains something that excites me, challenges me, and makes my heart smile.
I believe everyone should have opportunities and access to culturally responsive and engaging information that supports them in being the best and healthiest version of themselves. I quickly learned the best way to see change is to create it myself, either by being at decision-making tables or creating my own. This led me to pursue my master’s and doctorate degrees in management and leadership concentrations. My goal extends beyond providing a service; my goal is to cultivate experiences, whether it be with clients, patients, providers, or community members. I want people to remember their experiences with me because they feel uniquely seen, heard, believed, and valued.
Although I am not working as a lawyer during the day and a pediatric nurse practitioner in the evenings, that yearning to serve in the realm of health and law has stayed with me. I believe it’s true that we are born with our purpose and that we refine it through our life experiences. I am thankful that my education and career have brought me to the intersection of fulfilling my purpose of nursing and law in so many other ways on a daily basis. This has opened many doors and opportunities for me to follow in the light of others and develop my own path. I believe my work is to educate, mentor, train, and support others in cultivating positive experiences for those they serve. As the saying goes, charity begins at home; I believe home training begins with leaders and their beliefs and mindset. Then it moves to their first customer, which is their staff. Then to their clients, customers, colleagues, and community members.
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