Becoming a “Person”

“Drop all that textbook stuff now and become a person.” These words were spoken by one of my mentors, Raul, and were the first things I heard upon entering the Mental Health Department of North Hudson Community Action Corporation. To a great extent, this statement succinctly describes my transformation this summer. I was able to apply my knowledge from the classroom to real life and, more importantly, in service to my community. 

As part of the Harvard Clubs Summer Community Service Fellowship (SCSF) program and through the generosity of the Harvard Club of New Jersey, I worked as a mental health facilitator for New Jersey’s largest nonprofit corporation, North Hudson Community Action Corporation. In working with patients, I learned it was not enough just to provide them with medicine; trust needed to be built and a relationship formed to truly address not only their physical symptoms but their social and personal problems as well. 

I faced a myriad of challenges in my internship. Most of these challenged my beliefs, but they all transformed my perspective on life and molded me into the person I am today. I was presented with cases of my own people, people from my Latino community, being extremely ill with no insurance to pay for medication; elderly people who had no support system; depressed and psychotic patients who had had enough of life; and teenagers addicted to drugs. I grew up in this community, and I know from firsthand experience how hard it can be, but I found a way out through the vehicle of education. I wanted to find a way to help them as I had been helped.

There were so many lessons that I gleaned from these patients that I am forever grateful for this experience. There were many inspirational stories that helped me become better as a person: stories of addicts wanting to recover; of kids willing to do whatever it took to make their mothers happy; of sick patients willing to take extreme measures to help their families; of the strong will and determination of my community to rise back up after having fallen, and fallen hard. 

This experience over the summer put my life into perspective and accentuated how truly blessed I am. I became a “person,” as Raul would say. I have learned to communicate and understand my community, and now it is time to help them. This experience is fueling my desire to go into the public interest sector in order to help those who have given me so much -- my Latino community. They have taught me never to give up, never to forget my roots, but most importantly, to be proud of being Latino, because if one of us makes it in life, we all do as a community.

About Harvard Clubs Summer Community Service Fellowship (SCSF) program

The Harvard Clubs Summer Community Service Fellowship (SCSF) program enables Harvard undergraduates to perform public service in one of several communities across the country. SCSF is coordinated through the joint efforts of CPIC and the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA). Learn more...

A Special Word of Thanks

I want to take the time now to personally thank the Harvard Club of New Jersey and my host organization, North Hudson Community Action Corporation. More importantly, I want to personally thank Mr. Kenneth Abbott for reaching out to me to make me aware of this opportunity, and for helping me through the application process. I also want to thank Mrs. Carole Reading for her continual support and guidance throughout the entire process. From North Hudson I would like to thank Mr. Christopher Irizarry, the CEO of the corporation, who welcomed me warmly into his company as if I were family, and Dr. Frank Santos and the whole Mental Health team, who were my family this summer. My life has been greatly changed for the better because of all of you!