Sandra Hernandez
Quick Facts
Age: 21
Pronouns: she/her
Place of birth: Mexico
Major: Nursing
Notable: First-generation college student
Other Languages: Spanish
Transfer Institution: Associate in Pre-Nursing, Highline College
“Civility is acknowledging our shared humanity and acting with consideration for each other despite personal biases or inconveniences. To foster civility is to behave accordingly for the common good.”
Service & Work:
Volunteer at St. Anne Hospital - Medical Surgical Volunteer November 2022 - August 2023
Emergency Department Volunteer October 2023 - December 2023
Awards & Honors:
Graduated with Honors
Vice President's Honors Roll - Fall 2021, Fall 2022
Sandra’s Story
At an early stage in life, I had to learn how to navigate a path I did not choose. As my parents’ daughter, I reflect their resilience and hard work and value opportunity and education as a chance to create my own journey. Soon enough, I learned that what defined me was not the cards I was dealt with but the plays I made.
Growing up in the City of SeaTac as a first-generation college student, I was surrounded by communities of diverse backgrounds. Through this exposure, I learned the importance of cultivating inclusivity for a progressive society. At an early age, I understood that injustice and inequity had no place in the world. It was through an experience in elementary school when I began to form this realization. During lunch and after recess, my class was held up for speaking in line. The expectation, coming out of recess, was to stay silent on the way to the cafeteria. However, after hearing that some of my peers had not eaten all day, the punishment for speaking in line by preventing us from eating did not make sense to me. In retaliation, I spoke up against this method of discipline.
In high school, I enrolled in the Community Health Professions Academy (CHPA) program at the University of Washington and The Pathway Research Explorers Program at Fred Hutch. Both programs cemented my interest in the medical field and educated me on the healthcare disparities that persisted in marginalized communities. Knowing this, I was further motivated to use my background to become an advocate for underrepresented groups. During my college years, I enrolled at Highline College to major in pre-nursing. Throughout my sophomore year, I volunteered at St. Anne Hospital, where I witnessed the importance of connection between patients and providers. Connections such as culture and language helped ensure a comfortable environment for patients to feel heard and understood in their concerns. With this, it became my mission to represent the Latinx community and help break barriers between provider and patient, as well as promote the importance of cultural competence.
Having parents that valued higher education, my siblings and I were provided all the materials we needed to succeed in our passions. They taught me that with patience and hard work, blessings would arrive. As I believed this to be true, having their support further pushed me to break barriers I came across in my own journey.
My acceptance into the Alfie Scholars Program and nursing school has proved to me that there is always a sense of hope and that I can achieve such and much more. As I begin this journey in learning to find solutions for social issues and finding myself in the process, I cherish the support along the way and aspire to build similar opportunities for others.
Mission:
As the first person in my family to pursue a career in healthcare, I understand the responsibility of being in the position I am and recognize the lonely and challenging road ahead. With this, I hope to serve as motivation for other first-generation students that are also embarking on their journeys into achieving their dream careers and aspirations.
As a nursing student, I plan to develop skills that adhere to cultural competence and apply them throughout my nursing career. Upon receiving my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and before I advance my academic career, I would like to dedicate a couple of years working as a NICU Nurse. In this specialty I aim to advocate for the voiceless and treat newborn babies that are facing difficulties. I thank my parents for showing me the values of family and culture. Through this I have learned the importance of shared spaces and the importance of civility among shared spaces.
Goals:
My long-term goal is to be a Physician Associate (PA). I believe that as a PA, I can create an impact in the healthcare field by tackling disparities among minority groups. I want to focus on providing a space of comfort and comprehension to patients of diverse backgrounds that find difficulty in being seen. My purpose is to contribute to an environment that promotes compassion, empathy, and respect.
Culture is the foundation of who we are, what we value, where we stand, and what we celebrate. It is what sets us apart and makes society a mural of unique individuals. It is important to recognize these differences and celebrate them. It is most crucial to recognize these distinctions in healthcare settings. Cultural Competence bridges the gaps between us by integrating strategies that promote understanding of differences and civility across all groups.
