NAME: Sabrina Gandy
HOMETOWN: San Antonio, TX
Meet Sabrina, a recent graduate of Rhodes College with an urban studies degree in health equity. Sabrina is a fellow in the D.C. office working with clients with disabilities. Sabrina comes to America Works with a passion for social justice and an interest in immigrant families. In D.C., Sabrina works primarily with clients receiving social assistance, doing case management and assisting with job search and development. A highlight from this year has been seeing the amount of trust and kindness clients have shown her. This work aids in her understanding of the barriers individuals face when accessing proper healthcare. While the barriers Sabrina’s clients’ face are difficult, the resiliency displayed by her clients is also inspiring.
SABRINA’S FAVORITE QUOTE:
As the daughter of first-generation immigrants, Sabrina has always loved this quote by Ruveen Kaur. Sabrina’s parents immigrated when they were very young, and she spent much of her childhood grappling with her identity as the child of Chinese-Indian immigrants and learning about their experiences. She looks up to her parents, people who left everything they knew to move thousands of miles away from their families, and hopes to one day be half as strong as they were.
“My dad tells me he had to walk 5 miles to get to school. And that was just one way. We laugh it off. What a dad thing to say, I tell my brother. That night, I make a list of all the things I am thankful for. Food, clothes, the necessities. Then I think back to the time my dad bought me my first car at the age of 16 so that I could drive to my school. And all the other times when he gave me things that he never had for himself. A wave of guilt drowns me. Here is my dad, planting all the seeds. here I am, receiving all the flowers — child of immigrant”
SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT SABRINA:
She’s the youngest of five girls!
Previous internship experience at a free clinic that provided holistic healthcare and social services influenced Sabrina’s decision to become a Work First Fellow. While at the clinic, Sabrina saw firsthand how the stress of financial and job instability weighed on one’s body and health. Some of the patients that came into the office had underlying health issues, but were not interested in health services, only in social services. Their health issues weren’t as pertinent to address as maybe making rent at the end of the month. Sabrina’s time at the clinic showed her how important it is to assess all aspects of a being, especially the factors that affect one’s ability to gain financial stability and independence, which is what brought Sabrina to the America Works and the Work First Foundation.
ON SABRINA’S D.C. BUCKET LIST:
See the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin in the spring.
SABRINA’S FAVORITE QUARANTINE ACTIVITY:
Gardening
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