CHS Senior is Taking Next Step in Professional Development
By Loni Rahm
The first person Rosa Lopez met when she moved to Chelan has completely changed her life.
Rosa had every intention of studying law and pursuing a legal career. “I watched Judge Judy every day and memorized all the case law and decisions she cited,” Rosa said with a laugh.
In 2008, Rosa and her family moved to Chelan and immediately met Dr. Lorinda Parks. “She became my friend and mentor,” Rosa said. And seven years later, when Rosa was about 15, Dr. Parks dangled an enticing invitation in front of her young friend.
“She asked me to join her on a medical mission to Ciudad Sandino in Nicaragua.”
Rosa, who is both bilingual and biliterate* in English and Spanish, helped with translation between the medical team and patients. She shadowed Dr. Parks through midwifery and said it was an “eye opening experience”.
While sitting with a scared young mother before, during and after delivery, Rosa realized the new mom was barely older than she was. “I remember thinking about the experience in a new way. Under different circumstances, that could have been me.”
Rosa’s trip to Nicaragua changed her professional trajectory. “I’m going into midwifery,” she stated emphatically.
2018 Lake Chelan Royalty (left to right), Princess Lucy Bordner, Queen Gabi Navarro, and Princess Rosa Lopez. Editors note: Yes, I asked about the backwards banners…even royalty likes to stir things up on occasion!
Last year she attended Doula classes in Manzanita, Mexico. It may sound like a vacation in disguise, but Rosa indicated she was in class from 8:15 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. There were three stages of her doula education: pre-pregnancy training, education and assistance for women who are already pregnant, and post-delivery care.
She laughed as she recalled a doula workshop with 9 moms and their babies ranging from newborn to about 8 months. “One baby started crying, and suddenly all the moms were lactating.” Working through the stigma of breastfeeding in certain cultures is one of the steps in the doula education.
Earlier this year, Rosa applied for and was accepted to the Gap Medics Program. She will spend a couple of weeks in July shadowing and providing hands-on support to a medical team in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic.
As the mom of daughters who routinely galavant around the world, it seemed natural for me to ask Rosa how her mom feels about these trips. Rosa told me her mom is “hesitant about my traveling but very supportive of my goals.” She also told me she is very close to her older brother, Brian, who is studying physical therapy and will be a senior at CWU next year.
This led to a confession about the only thing that makes her the slightest bit nervous. “I don’t have any sisters,” she said. “And now I will have 22 sisters sharing a dorm with me!” She stated that only two other girls in this particular Gap Medics program are from the United States, the rest are from all over the world.
Rosa is responsible for the $3,000 Gap Medics program fee. She was pleased to announce that despite her discomfort asking people for money, she is within $400 of her goal.
She is adamant about earning the money rather than taking donations. In fact, the first time I met Rosa when she was introduced at the Lake Chelan Rotary Club, then Club President Lester Cooper told club members he tried to give her a check and she said “no thank you – I need to earn it”.
Rosa then shared with me that one of her mentors gently chided her for her stance and let her know that she needed to honor the sincerity and generosity of others, and that giving provides great pleasure to the giver.
Lesson learned. Although it shouldn’t be a difficult lesson for someone who already has given so much at such an early age, and is so focused on a life path that will allow her to give to mothers and babies every day.
Following Up
I asked Rosa to send LakeChelanNow some pictures and stories about her Gap Medic experience. If you would like to communicate with Rosa – her email is barboza21.rl@gmail.com.
What’s the difference between a Midwife and a Doula?
Both are people (who aren’t OBs) who help women through labor. And they are both most commonly chosen by moms-to-be who go drug-free during their delivery. But their roles in the childbirth process are actually quite different.
A midwife is a health care provider, while a doula is more of a childbirth coach. You might choose to have a midwife instead of an OB for prenatal care and to deliver your baby—midwives can deliver babies in hospitals, birthing centers or even in your home. A doula, on the other hand, doesn’t replace your healthcare practitioner but rather can add extra services, such as helping you with techniques to manage pain during labor and even providing support and help during baby’s early days.
Bilingual and Biliterate explained
*bilingual refers to multi-language spoken communication; biliteracy includes the ability to read and write proficiently in two languages.
What is Gap Medics?
Gap Medics is a young company based in the U.K. that specializes in educational travel experiences for aspiring medical and nursing students. Students 16+ spend a few weeks shadowing health professionals around the world.
Their website states “at the heart of our programs are the partnerships with carefully selected hospitals to offer students insight info front-line clinical environments under the expert mentorship of local clinicians. This once in a lifetime opportunity helps students to better understand their chosen career path, develop as people, and strengthen their university applications.”
