Hello,
my name is Karina Escobar. I am a rising senior this fall at George Mason. My
field of study is Community Health/Global Health. Growing up, I was always
interested in helping others in any way that I could. When I saw the
application for the IPV (Interpersonal Violence) among Latina women, I
immediately wanted to be a part of it.
Like
any research project, data needs to be collected. So, on Tuesdays and
Thursdays, interviews were scheduled at the MAP clinics located in both
Manassas and Culmore. From there my colleagues and I conducted those interviews
with female participants who were either 18 or older and had been born outside
the U.S. We asked questions from a survey that we had created previously. From
the questions asked, our goal was to gain more knowledge about what Latina
women experience when it comes to intimate partner violence. From their
responses, it can help better shape or create future programs by knowing what
to focus on.
This
opportunity has been so incredible so far, it has helped shaped my
understanding of what women face first hand. From the people I have met, I
learn and live a part of their life through their stories. From this
experience, one thing that I have discovered would be the impact that the
people I have met had on me. I didn’t realize how emotionally strong I had to
be. I think about how different my life is compared to other girls my age. It
makes me more appreciative of how lucky I am to not have been through what they
have.
Everything
I have learned throughout this term, I will take with me. Seeing the
determination and self-empowerment of some to have a better life, inspired me
to have the same determination to fulfill my dreams and long-term goals.
