Hi! My name is Caroline, and I'll be serving at Heartland Health Centers- Lincoln Square/Roosevelt High this year. I enjoy playing Ultimate Frisbee, hanging out with anything furry, and being competitive about board games. I graduated from Oberlin College in Ohio, where I studied Neuroscience and Comparative American Studies. I was fortunate to participate in a research program in a neonatal ICU, where I witnessed both the positive impact of socially conscious healthcare providers, as well as the adverse treatment that people from marginalized communities often receive. At Oberlin, I was really excited to take a student-run course on comprehensive sex education, which included discussions about consent and power dynamics surrounding safer sex. During this class, I discovered my interest in reproductive healthcare and making inclusive sex ed a reality in schools. I also found a love for service when I began volunteering at the local social services center for recent immigrants as a teacher for the English for Speakers of Other Languages program.
All these experiences led me to the NHC!
I am really looking forward to learning more about discrepancies in health care in Chicago, and discovering how I can be of service in minimizing those gaps. I'm excited to meet people around the city who have given so much of their time and energy into making accessible and judgment-free healthcare a reality, and learn what I can from them and my fellow NHC members. In the process, I hope I can learn how to make doctors visits feel safer for everyone regardless of identity.
This blog post was written by NHC Chicago 2018-19 member Caroline Beshers.
