Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Early in her time as a nurse at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Jasmin Elizarraras, RN, saw that she could play a unique role in patient care.

As the only Spanish-speaking nurse in her unit when she started working at St. Jude in 2015, she was sought out by peers to interpret and communicate with Spanish-speaking families and served as a valuable resource for patients from various backgrounds. Seeing patient’s reactions when they learned that she spoke Spanish inspired her to become a certified Spanish interpreter, further helping patients and families during their stays at St. Jude.

“Whenever a Spanish speaking patient learned that I spoke Spanish, it was this amazing revelation to them. They felt like they could connect with me and even if at times we had different backgrounds we bonded on the differences within our Hispanic heritage,” Elizarraras said. “It has truly been rewarding to create this beautiful bond with all the patients and families I have had the pleasure to care for.”

Originally from Los Angeles, Elizarraras originally moved to Tennessee during her childhood when her sister was a patient at St. Jude. During the frequent visits to the hospital, she took a great interest in the caregivers and it became her passion. Now a nurse for seven years, she has taken the opportunity to share her heritage with her coworkers and patients alike.

With those two interests of patient care and heritage meeting at an intersection at St. Jude, Elizarraras has expanded her role to serve as the chair for the Nursing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, bringing a varied perspective to her unit and the entire St. Jude campus.

“I have had the pleasure to collaborate alongside other minority groups, and together we are trying to expand and share all our stories that make us unique with the whole institution,” she said. “I like the diverse patient population that we care for. I really feel like I am making a difference in the world by caring for all these patients and their families.”

Growing up, Edgar believed there were multiple St. Jude hospitals around the United States. This is because, every year, he would accompany his grandma to drop off her donation for St. Jude at the Kmart in El Paso. After all, St. Jude Thaddeus was her patron saint.

Edgar joined the ALSAC team back in 2018, first as a contractor under the Event Support Team in ITS and later in his current position. He continues to work with both his current and former teams, getting to flex his skills onsite at the events he supports. He also has gone beyond his role, becoming a co-chair for the LGBTQ+ & Allies advocacy and leading innovative initiatives across the organization.

“Being born and raised in a Mexican household, I was taught that my work shows who I am. Being Mexican and Hispanic is part of my DNA, and of what I do.” Edgar is aware that he doesn’t just represent himself, but rather the whole community in his work. This is why he goes beyond “just doing his job” and ensures that all those around him feel welcomed into his “familia.”

That said, Edgar is also thankful that ALSAC gives him the space to embrace all his identities: “ALSAC has given me the opportunity of being the whole me at work and I'm forever grateful! I’m Mexican, Hispanic, Gay, Husband, Son, Brother, Uncle, Great Uncle, Friend, and Coworker!” he exclaimed.

He believes that the Hispanic community has a huge commitment to St. Jude. He says that “being in events from Seattle to Puerto Rico and every place in between, I have seen how our Hispanic staff, volunteers, and donors show up for our mission.”

When Carlos Fernández-Peña Acuña, PhD, thinks about his surroundings in the Developmental Neurobiology department at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, he sees a group committed to maintaining a positive outlook in all situations, but particularly when faced with adversity.

In describing the environment and culture, he uses the same words that he uses to describe his Venezuelan heritage.

“I think that a key part of the Venezuelan culture is that we are very happy people; we help each other and either through our food, our stories, or our music, we always find a way to maintain a positive spirit that keeps us moving forward during hard times,” he said. “This has been of invaluable help throughout my career, and especially here because science is embedded in adversity.”

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Fernández-Peña Acuña was raised in a small, nearby town called Guarenas with the staunch work ethic of a farming family. Upon his arrival at St. Jude three years ago, he saw similar values in his new coworkers.

“When I first started working at St. Jude, I experienced a welcoming environment where everyone was a team player, all rowing in the same direction towards the same goal of saving children,” he said. “Everyone is ready to help each other without hesitation.”

Working in Developmental Neurobiology under the guidance of Lindsay Schwarz, PhD, Fernández-Peña Acuña is part of a team that focuses on understanding how neural circuits are organized in the brain to generate diverse behaviors, including anxiety and depression.

With such an important mission, he is inspired each day he comes to the lab.

“The most rewarding aspect of my job is knowing that every discovery that we make has the potential to help in the cure of catastrophic diseases in children,” he said.

Jess Cerda grew up hearing about St. Jude, as it was her family’s favorite charitable organization. After working in the nonprofit sector for 20 years, she joined ALSAC as Regional Managing Director for Eastern Florida in 2017.  

“What I enjoy most about what I do,” said Jess, “is building relationships, coaching team members and seeing them succeed, as well as the magic of bringing to fruition a constituent’s gift.”

Living in Miami, it has been useful for Jess to speak Spanish. “There is a large Hispanic community in Miami, and it allows me to communicate in their native language about the impact of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and our local footprint. In addition to the awareness piece, being Hispanic in a senior role provides our youth inspiration that with hard work and dedication they, too, can successfully work and grow within a large organization.”

“Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month brings me great honor and pride,” said Jess. “It reminds me of the sacrifices my parents and many others make to provide greater opportunities for their families.”

In addition to spreading awareness for the mission of St. Jude, Jess encourages everyone to visit her native Ecuador. “You can cross the equator or ‘La Mitad del Mundo’ as we call it, should your travels bring you to Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Also, Ecuador is known for its Galapagos Islands, distributed in either side of the equator in the eastern Pacific Ocean, made famous by Charles Darwin. If you haven’t visited Ecuador, I hope this has motivated you to take a trip!”

When Lizzie Wickman’s grandmother immigrated from Cuba to the United States as a child, a good portion of her Cuban culture stayed behind as the family assimilated to the American way of life.

However, cooking and sharing Cuban cuisine were important traditions that remained in her family through generations. While her family shunned tradition to mix with their surroundings all those years ago, it was those very traditions that helped Wickman adjust to life at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. When she arrived in Memphis, Wickman harkened back to the pastelitos de guayaba, lechon asado and croquetas from her childhood to bridge gaps with her new community.

“When I started at St. Jude, I used cooking to share my Cuban culture with my classmates,” she said. “Through food, I made great friendships with my classmates and coworkers while adding to the diversity already present on the St. Jude campus.”

From the time she first visited St. Jude as an undergraduate student at North Carolina State University, Wickman felt at home in a cutting-edge and collaborative environment. Now in her fifth year as a graduate student in the St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences program, Wickman finds herself in the perfect atmosphere to hone her craft while fulfilling her passion for advancing the science of pediatric medical care.

“On one of my first visits to the clinic, we visited children in the inpatient unit. I saw firsthand how much care the doctors and nurses give each child, the amount of teamwork that goes into creating each child’s care, and the reason why I decided to get my PhD,” she said. “My inspiration comes from seeing the children of St. Jude every day. Despite the reason they are here, they provide so much hope and happiness to campus. Seeing the children on campus motivates me daily to make science more accessible and to make safer therapies for the children at St. Jude.”