Meet Stephanie!
Stephanie is an original GB alumna. As GB's CEO and co-founder, Shital Vora's roommate in college, Stephanie participated in the earliest days of Medical Brigades in Honduras and has been able to see GB grow as an organization since then. After college, Stephanie pursued a career in nursing, and has served as a Family Nurse Practitioner in Illinois for the past 5 years.
Stephanie’s Brigade experiences
Participating in Brigades in Honduras opened Stephanie’s eyes to the world of health care. She was inspired by watching and listening to health care professionals and learned the important skills necessary to be in the field.
- “You get to learn what true humility is. Having that influential virtue of basic humility is so essential to be a clinician.”
- “You can see a whole different side of what your comfort zone is and what you normally see in your day-to-day.”
Building Practical Skills
Being bilingual has helped Stephanie transfer her skills into her work. Knowing Medical Spanish terms can be very valuable in health care.
- “I learned so many medical terms that you would come across that I had to learn myself… that has helped me, from the beginning until now, transfer those skills into my day-to-day.”
- “Being compassionate with your patients and remembering that everyone has a story behind them, I think is something we tend to forget as clinicians, to keep it humble and see that those people may be coming from different backgrounds."
Stephanie's Advice
Planning a Brigade or TeleBrigade? Stephanie suggests having an open mind and being ready to work.
- “Sometimes you’re going to have longs days of seeing hundreds of patients, but at the end of the day, the amount of impact that you make in those communities is just outstanding.”
- “Whatever role that you may have on those brigades is going to definitely impact your world when you come back, and you can apply those skills anywhere you go.”
- “Try to get yourselves immersed into as many educational and diverse experiences such as Global Brigades... because it’s not just getting those grades in your books, it’s about having those worldly experiences that really makes you a well-rounded clinician in the end.”
The Bigger Picture
We asked Stephanie what it's been like to see Global Brigades' growth since the very beginning.
- “It warms my heart that GB is making such a difference to so many students, not only nationally but internationally. From being part of the very beginning to seeing it now, I think it’s amazing to be a part of something big like that.”
A big thanks to Stephanie for chatting with us! Watch the full interview here.
