Fellow Spotlight: 2019 AmeriCorps Alum Segal Fellow Raquél Pérez
“Because of the Segal Program, I can explore what matters to me and feel supported in that journey.”
2019 AmeriCorps Alum Segal Fellow Raquél Pérez is currently the Chief Nursing Officer & Director of Communications at Gales® Footwear, a Nurse, and an AmeriCorps Alum. Below, she shares about her work, aspirations, and experiences as a Segal Fellow.
“In my role at Gales, I help support healthcare workers, especially nurses, feel supported in Gales’ mission to provide safe and protective footwear (PPE approved) as part of their work uniform. What I love most about this role is the ability to give back to the healthcare community I was previously part of in a way that feels meaningful and effective.
One of my aspirations is to transition to a public communications role (think TV host or journalism) at some point in my career, and having the experience as Gales’ Director of Communications allows me to build that experience and resume. I also continue to be immensely inspired by healthcare workers and love that their well-being is part of my everyday life.
The pandemic was a pivotal moment in my life for multiple reasons. It woke me up to the fact that healthcare is in shambles and healthcare workers are not supported nearly as much as they should be. In 2020, I was working on a women’s oncology unit at my state’s largest maternity hospital. When COVID hit, it doubled as a COVID-holding unit, and with only two professional years under my belt, I was assigned to care for the first COVID patient we admitted. Needless to say, that was a terrifying shift for me because the world still didn’t know enough about the disease at that point. Even worse, no training measures were yet implemented since it was assumed that a maternity hospital would be immune from COVID’s grasp. I decided then and there that my safety was non-negotiable and began to take the necessary steps to slowly find my new path that could provide safety, support, and balance. That experience ultimately shifted my rose-colored-glasses-view on the US healthcare system which currently makes me frustrated and disappointed. However, I’m hopeful that I will witness impactful change in the future and contribute to that change in some way.
Being part of the Segal Network reminds me of the goodness that exists in the world and provides a system of support that I treasure. During the entirety of the pandemic, I felt supported by the Segal Network in ways that I wasn’t at home and work. I can’t begin to express how important that was for me–not only for obvious reasons but also because I still somehow felt a desire to create change because my Segal peers were inspiring me to do so. After this past year’s retreat, I felt very inspired to re-align my goals when it comes to activism, and I’m excited for those that I can connect with who can support that direction.”
Fellow in Action Highlights
Learn more about how our Segal Fellows are also making a difference across fields and throughout the COVID pandemic.
Segal Fellow COVID-19 Frontline Workers
Segal Fellows Election Spotlight