The Belonging Fellowship Scholarship empowered Dilany Santamaria to use her experiences and bilingual skills to bridge diversity gaps in healthcare. Her public health journey is shaped by a personal mission to make healthcare more inclusive for underrepresented communities.
Dilany Santamaria found her place in the public health world after witnessing the lack of diversity in healthcare, particularly the shortage of Spanish-speaking physicians.
When Santamaria started at BYU, she pursued biology. However, when she found public health, she realized the real-world implications it could have on her and others.
In 2019, Santamaria’s mom was diagnosed with leukemia. Through this experience, she became aware of the lack of diversity that existed in the health industry, especially with physicians who spoke Spanish.
By pursuing public health, she hopes to diminish the gap between patients and healthcare by creating a more inclusive field.
Currently, Santamaria is working with kids with autism as a registered behavioral technician. Santamaria has integrated her diverse background in this position by helping clients whose primary language is Spanish.
“I’ve been able to see how my perspective on public health matters and how it can be applied to any situation to help people improve their overall health,” she said.
Moving forward, she hopes to continue utilizing her experiences with public health to improve those kids' overall health. In the long run, Santamaria also plans on applying to PA schools.
By implementing her own unique experiences into her career aspirations, Santamaria will be able to create long-lasting changes to the public health world.
“Recognize that your experiences and your perspectives and opinions are valued,” she said. “Although they might be different, they are so valuable.”