当卡罗莱纳·洛佩兹-席尔瓦2016年从波哥大搬到美国时, Colombia, 她想和社区里的其他移民建立联系. 现在是约翰霍普金斯大学医学院的二年级学生, she tutors immigrant youth through CASA of Baltimore, a large grass-roots immigrant advocacy organization.
“社区服务对医学生来说很重要，”毕业于威廉大学的洛佩兹-席尔瓦说 & Mary in 2020. “If we don’t understand the political, 影响社区健康的社会和经济因素, we won’t be as prepared to help those communities.”
Lopez-Silva is part of the Service Scholars program, a component of SOURCE, 约翰霍普金斯大学公共卫生学院的社区参与和服务学习中心, nursing and medicine. 该项目训练约翰霍普金斯大学的学生在社区组织担任项目经理，同时学习如何从头到尾推动一个项目. 他们学习项目管理的各个阶段，管理人员和学习委派. 他们还必须招募四名同龄人作为志愿者.
“Medical school is a very intense time,” says Rosemary Riel, SOURCE’s assistant director for academic service-learning. “服务学者项目为学生提供了一个机会，让他们从不同的角度看待他们将与之合作的社区. 它使医学实践超越了传统的临床焦点.”
洛佩兹-席尔瓦开始志愿担任协调员和外联专家 Mi Espacio, CASA’s youth program, last September. Four times each week, 她在关注学业成功的课后项目中支持移民青年.
“Many of the students in CASA are immigrants themselves, from places like Venezuela and El Salvador, or they are first-generation Americans,” Lopez-Silva explains. “They need help with English or other subjects. We provide a space where they feel comfortable. 许多导师会说两种语言，可以用学生的母语与他们交谈.”
洛佩兹-席尔瓦说，她辅导的许多学生都希望上大学, and she assists them with college applications. CASA还帮助家庭纳税，提供法律援助，并提供保健服务.
“CASA helps open a lot of doors for the students,” she says. “The more support, the better.”
Tatiana, a high school junior in the Mi Espacio program, says the help with schoolwork, 暑期实习申请和英语帮助她为未来做准备.
“我感到非常高兴和感激，因为他们支持我，帮助我取得成功,” Tatiana says. “Ms. Lopez encouraged me when I felt I couldn't learn English. 她是一个好人，我非常感谢她在困难时期支持我，帮助我前进.”
Diego Torres Diaz, CASA’s former youth program coordinator, says Lopez-Silva helped formalize the tutoring program.
“She’s extremely organized,” he says. “She took charge of the onboarding process for tutors. 卡罗莱纳帮助跟踪数据，并建立了一个进度监控系统. 她还为学生们开设了心理健康讲习班. 她确保学生们站在最前线，他们的声音被听到.”
洛佩兹-席尔瓦为“我的空间”建立了一个强大的志愿者基础. While she was only required to recruit four volunteers, she ended up getting 13 for the tutoring program.
医学院四年级学生埃里克·阿尔马赞(Erik Almazan)就是其中一名志愿者.
“由于大流行，很难找到面对面的活动，”Almazan说. 卡罗莱纳州给拉丁裔医学院学生协会发了一封电子邮件, talking about the opportunity at CASA. 这似乎是一个融入社区的好方法.”
Almazan says Lopez-Silva is a great volunteer coordinator.
“She’s always available to answer questions,” he says. “She’s friendly and kind to everyone. She makes an effort to help with whatever is needed.”
Almazan说，他喜欢帮助学生了解他们的新环境.
“We try to give students a sense of empowerment,” he says. “这个项目里有很多聪明的孩子，他们最大的障碍之一就是理解英语, 所以我们努力帮助他们更适应这门语言. 这是一次有益的经历，因为我们给了他们信心.”
Lopez-Silva has also been active in 约翰霍普金斯大学健康教育和培训(HEAT)团 在疫情期间，回答学生关于COVID-19的问题. In addition, 她在耶稣圣心教堂的COVID-19检测诊所做志愿者, 在那里，她帮助人们在约翰霍普金斯大学的MyChart上注册，以查看他们的测试结果.
Lopez-Silva has worked with Centro SOL, 一个促进拉丁裔社区健康和机会平等的组织, 帮助制作西班牙语的MyChart注册视频，并筛查糖尿病前期患者. And she led a Facebook Live session on COVID-19 testing.
“这项工作让我更加意识到东巴尔的摩社区面临的不同挑战,” Lopez-Silva says. “当我开始读医学院的时候，我不确定我的职业生涯会是什么样子. Now I have a better idea. 我希望服务、领导和倡导成为我未来职业生涯的一部分. I’m grateful for these opportunities.”
