Kufre Samuel
WHERE SHE’S COMING FROM
Samuel may live in Philadelphia right now while she’s in the Leonard A. Lauder Community Care Nurse Practitioner Program, but she grew up in Providence, Rhode Island.
BREAKING BARRIERS
Samuel is committed to making health care accessible in any way possible, so, when she was working in a clinic with a predominantly Spanish-speaking population, it was important to her to make patients feel heard and comfortable. She says, “My proudest moment as a nurse was conducting a visit with a Spanish-speaking patient with only minimal assistance from a translator. Prior to working in that community, I could barely formulate a sentence in Spanish.” It was through this experience and others that allowed Samuel to understand the importance of culturally relevant care, as well as to see the direct correlation between poor health outcomes and limited access to care.
AIM HIGH
When Samuel received the letter accepting her as a Leonard A. Lauder Fellow, she reread it at least five times before heading home to tell her family. Her family is important to her, especially her mother. She says, “My mom has had the greatest influence on who I am today. She has overcome so much in her life and still manages to stay so grounded and optimistic. She inspires me to always believe in myself and aim high.”
