My name is Adrian Medina, and I'm a junior at Loyola University Chicago. I am currently majoring in Neuroscience & Psychology with minors in Biology and Arabic Language & Culture, and I'm also currently on the pre-medicine track. At Loyola, I am involved with the Student Diversity & Multicultural Affairs office as a peer mentor for its mentorship program dedicated to serving mxn of color on campus. I am also the founding president of PRISM, which is a registered student organization dedicated to serving and advocating for queer &/or trans* people of color on campus. As part of the Social Justice Internship program, I had the opportunity to serve as an intern in the Personal Effectiveness Program at Misericordia.
My role primarily comprises one-on-one interactions with all of the residents in PEP, assisting them with occupational and vocational skills, as well as assisting developmental training instructors in facilitating programming for the residents. Additionally, I research the behavioral support plan of specific residents to become familiar with both target and problem behaviors, while also attending meetings lead by a board certified behavior analyst to discuss the progress of residents' individual behavioral support plans. I also assist in conflict resolution during times in which residents may be having behavioral troubles, as well as learning to communicate with nonverbal residents in American Sign Language. As an aspiring surgeon, this experience has been and continues to be very impactful because I am able to work with such incredible residents, while also being gratified by tangible results of my work with them. |