Earlier this quarter, we announced the launch of our inaugural Student Scholars Fellowship Program, which aims to support the next generation of leaders and scholars who promote the wellbeing of Latinx communities in Washington state. This program includes an outstanding cohort of 10 students in health sciences programs across the campuses of the @University of Washington and @Heritage University. We will be highlighting the stories of these students starting today and throughout the summer. This week, we are starting with Kenia Ramirez, MSW (she/her/ella).
Kenia was a social work student at the UW up until recently–she just graduated last week with a Master’s in Social Work. Congratulations Kenia, on this very important achievement! Felicidades!
Kenia is also a DACA recipient, and earlier today, the Supreme Court blocked the Trump Administration’s attempt to end DACA. “Today is a celebratory day for us, Dreamers”, she told me in an email.
Kenia was born in Puebla, Mexico and then moved to Seattle when she was seven years old. Two years after arriving in the US, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that brought up many challenges for her and her family. “During this time, the biggest support we received came from the hospital social worker,” says Kenia. “It was his dedication and support that influenced by decision of becoming a social worker myself.”
Now that she’s graduated, Kenia’s plan is to work as a healthcare social worker. “I want to be responsive to the healthcare needs of Latino families by providing care to those greatly impacted by acute or chronic medical illnesses and those coping and adjusting to end of life—in other words, palliative and hospice care,” says Kenia. But her plan doesn’t end there. “In the future, my personal goal is to combine my passion for Latino health, end of life and immigration by doing research. I want to incorporate the voices of the undocumented individuals when receiving end of life care,” Kenia adds.
“Ultimately, I want to bring awareness to providers regarding the values and beliefs this community has regarding death and also educate the same community on this topic utilizing a framework that is compatible with their values and beliefs.”
Read more about Kenia’s story here (in English) and here (en español)!