Defining and Building Community

Community had always been something I prided myself in, one of the reasons for my position in life today is thanks to the support provided to my by my community. But at the UW, I felt that community was something I lacked. Ariana Cantu and El Centro de la Raza gave me a different perspective.

Honors 394: Community Inclusion and Equity

I wouldn't say I was ever truly alone during any part of my undergraduate journey, but it certainly felt that way at the start. Everyday felt the same, going through life passively and in autopilot mode. The seemingly lack of representation in my courses magnified this feeling, as did the attitudes and discouraging remarks of some of my peers - remarks that made me feel unworthy. When I joined Honors 394, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my instructor was Chicana. She asked, "Does UW feel like home?" Almost as if it was a reflex I blurted out, "No!" Cantu asked me why, I couldn't find an answer that sounded reasonable in my head - UW just didn't feel like a space that I felt comfortable taking up. Her very simple inquiry got me questioning the rather passive role that I was taking in terms of community building.

Honors 394 came with spring, and with spring came new beginnings. Essentially, this class allowed us to explore several major Seattle neighborhoods under the framework of placemaking, community inclusion, and equity. We went on mini field trips to these sites and learned about each neighborhood's unique communities, challenges, and sources of hope directly from those community's leaders. We were then split into groups and tasked with learning more about a particular neighborhood and creating a 'story map' to present to the class. Choosing Beacon Hill, we quickly learned that it historically was a neighborhood for low income immigrants. However, these historical residents have been facing displacement as a result of the rise in house prices that came about as a result of gentrification.

Wanting to understand how community members were combatting this displacement, we interviewed the Associate Director of El Centro de La Raza, Miguel Maestas. We learned about the movement that had sprouted El Centro, a multicultural initiative led by Roberto Maestas. From our conversation with Miguel, what stood out to me was the love that Beacon Hill's residents had for each other and their neighborhood. A love so strong that keeps the work of Roberto and the historic Beacon Hill residents alive to this day through affordable housing initiatives, community gatherings, and service to all the underserved. These folks didn't wait for community to be built around them, they actively contributed to its building and it protection - ensuring that generations can continue to enjoy El Centro and Beacon Hill.

Although not a Beacon Hill resident, I felt deeply connected to those that call the neighborhood their home. Eager to give back to the community that taught me about leadership and community building, I began volunteering at several of their events. This photo is from their most recent Día de Los Muertos celebration in November. Honors 394 allowed me the space and dialogues to better understand my own positionality and how I can leverage my voice to contribute to the communities that I am a part of. Following this course, I became more invigorated to build community through my ties with Grey Matters and organizations that I would join at the Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center. This class was pivotal to my undergrad experience. Here is the link to our Story Map: https://arcg.is/0HC5Ta

SHPEP: Making Space for URM Students in Medicine

For anyone familiar with the premed community, it is known to be somewhat toxic and hypercompetitive. As I've grown, I found that this is not true, at least not entirely. Prior to participating in SHPEP, my insecurity as a premed student was at an all time high. It seemed that everyone had perfect grades, connections, research, everything. I was already questioning if medicine was the right field for me, my identities were a compounding factor. I learned about SHPEP from a friend and I chose to apply with no real expectations of being accepted - I actually almost missed the deadline to confirm my participation. I already talked about SHPEP extensively, it was truly life altering. Honors 394 was my catalyst but SHPEP provided me with the confidence I needed to build a community for myself and URM students.

SHPEP showed me that premedical students come from all walks of life. Witnessing my peers' ability to be vulnerable and apply their lived experiences to their drive and leadership inspired me to do the same. Now, I lead Chicanos for Community Medicine from in a very horizontal and community-oriented manner. I have watched as many of my SHPEP friends have made their way into their desired graduate programs, taking the memories we made and lessons we learned to the places and people they will soon serve. I could talk about the people from SHPEP forever, I encourage you to read my post that focuses on that program. I would be lying if I told you I don't face imposter syndrome and uncertainties today, but, now I am able to handle those feelings much better and I have helped others on their journey as well.

Discovering my Love for Teaching & Mentorship

It wasn't until BIOL 180, where I saw myself in my educators, that I could see myself succeeding in the sciences. Dr. Theobald, my own undergraduate TAs, and my graduate TA were all incredibly willing to share their own moments of academic disappointment and the steps they took to overcome them. This felt more realistic than the narratives I saw around me. I wanted to contribute to creating a similar environment which led to join the BIOL 113 teaching team.

For two years I would teach several sections of classes of 25+ students, often times growing very close to them as people. I remember getting to learn about their ambitions, many of which I shared with them. The ability to connect with students, just as the BIOL 180 team had done with me, made students more willing to take risks, be incorrect, and collaborate. This experience cemented teaching as a cornerstone of my future career aspirations as a physician.

Prior to and during college, there have been many people that have invested time and energy into me. I sought out opportunities to mentor students from similar underserved backgrounds. Building a more inclusive science community through UW FEEDBACK, GM , and CCM has been one of the most rewarding things.

Chicanos for Community Medicine

Chicanos for Community Medicine (CCM) has become like a second family to me, I wish I had learned about this organization and these beautiful people sooner. I have already spoken about how as a first-generation and underrepresented student pursuing medicine, the path felt isolated and uncertain. I don't think I would've felt this way had I known about CCM sooner. I joined in the spring of my first year.

The president at the time, Jennifer Rueda, quickly took me under her wing, she encouraged me to join the board the upcoming year. Before entering the UW, I had only evert met one Latino physician. It was very eye-opening to see the number of Latino medical students working with CCM and the passion they had not just for medicine but for mentorship. Brian Cedeno, MD, stood out in particular as he helped found CCM and now I stood before us a medical student that had seen countless undergraduate students go through CCM and into their desired health path.

At the time, CCM was relatively small due to the pandemic. My first year on the board, it remained pretty small. The sense of community was certainly there, our reach just wasn't yet. As a peer of mine, Wendy Sanchez, and I worked our ways up the "leadership chain," we began making organizational changes that caused CCM to boom in participation and productivity. In particular, we led within community and dismantled the vertical leadership design.

Through our efforts, CCM was able to revive our scholarship, emphasize community health by completing service projects addressing health disparities, and we were recognized by being awarded the ECC Organization of the Year. Now as president, I continue to lead from within my amazing team in order to provide our members with opportunities to grow as pre-health students while contributing to our community.

I cannot express how much CCM has done and meant for me, just as the Beacon Hill residents built their home from a place of love and admiration, I had worked to do the same with CCM. What stands out to me is that alumni come back to continue investing into our organization. Like Brian and Irvin (who pulled that massive crowd in the first picture), I look forward to the day I return as a medical student and physician for the future generations of CCM.

I may sound like a broken record, but community is so crucial in making all the work we do possible. I am eternally grateful for all those that have opened up their arms to me and taught me what it means to serve others from a deeply genuine place of love and solidarity. Again, collectivities give me hope.