CommunityHealth shines the Volunteer Spotlight on Samantha Castro-Rico as our July Volunteer of the Month!
Over the past year, Samantha has contributed an incredible 45 hours to CH. Throughout the year she was with us, her dedication did not go unnoticed. Always trying to find ways to improve clinic flow, Samantha was a great role model for other volunteers.
Although born in the U.S., Samantha grew up in Cuernavaca, Mexico, Samantha was surrounded by a bog family and heavily engaged in her community. After her family moved back to Cicero, she was encouraged and empowered to become the first in her family to graduate from college and enter medical school.
During the 2024 Volunteer of the Year Awards, Samantha won the award for Medical Student of the Year. You can watch the awards ceremony through the link below.
CommunityHealth sat down with Samantha to learn more about what quality health care for all means to her…
In a few sentences, tell us more about yourself and your background.
After having a 1999 baby (me!), my parents wanted to begin the 2000s in their home country of Mexico. Thus, I grew up in my grandparents’ home in Cuernavaca, Morelos surrounded by ~30 cousins, 15 aunts/uncles, and tasty food that has set a high standard for any food I have encountered since then. Eventually, my older brother’s peer pressure to tap into his “American-ness” encouraged my family to move back to the US and settle down in Cicero, a town west of Chicago. I am incredibly grateful to my community in Cicero and family in Mexico for encouraging and empowering me as I’ve become the first in my family to graduate from college and now enter medical school at the University of Chicago. I hope to commit my medical career to repaying that support!
Why and how did you begin volunteering with CommunityHealth?
I began volunteering at Community Health in November of 2023 as a first year medical student. I felt drawn to the clinic because of its Spanish’speaking patient population – A community I hope to serve as a primary care doctor in Chicago after graduating. Also recognizing the importance of providing high quality and holistic care to all individuals, I appreciate the ways that CommunityHealth intentionally addresses social inequities by going beyond directly medical needs by offering mental health counseling, exercise programming, diabetes care groups, and specialist services. In doing so, this organization is able to treat the whole social context of an individual – a mission that I am grateful to support.
What has kept you volunteering all this time?
Growing up, my parents did not have access to affordable, reliable, and holistic healthcare. When they were referred for testing or screenings, their providers rarely spoke Spanish and were often uninterested in learning how to support our family outside of their clinic room. The paternalism and marginalization that my parents confronted within this medical space made me angry – I resented the medical field for deeming my family and people from my community unworthy of high quality, compassionate care. Therefore, I want to hold myself and my peers accountable to creating a space in healthcare that combats that inequity – I strongly believe that CommunityHealth is actively contributing to that effort and am encouraged to continue being a part of this work through my time in medical school and beyond.
What is your favorite memory at CommunityHealth?
Growing up in a predominantly Mexican community, I never questioned my “Mexican” Spanish. However, under the careful guidance of my Central American friends (ie my fellow co-coordinator Priscilla!), I later made mental notes to learn about caites, not huaraches, or sorbetes, not popotes. During a visit with a patient from Guatemala, we were discussing her new implementation of vegetables smoothies for weight loss when she struggled to remember the word for “beets.” I quickly prompted her with “remolacha” not “betabel” and was met with an instant laugh and eyes full of relief that led into a conversation of Mexican vs Chapín Spanish. Although it was a small moment, I felt grateful to have bonded and learned from my patient in a way that made our visit a more welcoming and comforting space.
What has kept you volunteering all this time?
Growing up in a predominantly Mexican community, I never questioned my “Mexican” Spanish. However, under the careful guidance of my Central American friends (ie my fellow co-coordinator Priscilla!), I later made mental notes to learn about caites, not huaraches, or sorbetes, not popotes. During a visit with a patient from Guatemala, we were discussing her new implementation of vegetables smoothies for weight loss when she struggled to remember the word for “beets.” I quickly prompted her with “remolacha” not “betabel” and was met with an instant laugh and eyes full of relief that led into a conversation of Mexican vs Chapín Spanish. Although it was a small moment, I felt grateful to have bonded and learned from my patient in a way that made our visit a more welcoming and comforting space.
Outside of volunteering at CommunityHealth, how do you like to spend your free time?
Every single trashy tv show that exists, I have watched. After a long day of classes, there is nothing that I love more than sitting down with my roommate to watch a (problematic) episode of Glee for the 10th time, do a re-run of Extreme Couponers on Youtube, or Too Hot to Handle’s newest and somehow even worse season.
What is your favorite book?
Although I don’t claim J* R*wl*ng, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will forever be my favorite book – This series was the first one I was able to read confidently in English after moving to the US. I can remember the joy I felt after devouring the book in 2 days and the excitement at recognizing that there was a whole future full of books that would follow. Therefore, Harry, Ron, and my self-proclaimed twin Hermione (I know, I was a pick-me intellectual in 5th grade) hold a special sense of pride in my heart.
