By Kevin McCall During the Spring 2022 semester, a record seven Marist College students participated in the virtual Gumbo Coalition University Mentorship Program sponsored by Resorts World Casino New York City. Of all the institutions who had students in the program, Marist College had the highest number of participants with seven. In this series of blog posts, some of the Marist students will speak about their leadership experiences, key learnings in the program, and plans to become future leaders. In this post you will hear from Caroline Kirsten ’22, a Biology major who is also in the Arthur O. Eve HEOP Program. Although Marist graduating senior Caroline Kirsten ’22 is originally from the Bronx, her leadership skills first developed in quieter and more serene settings. While leading a group of teenagers on a hike up a mountain using only a compass for navigation, Kirsten needed to reassure her campers that they were heading in the right direction. “I had to be the person who was uplifting everyone,” Kirsten said. “Because they were counting on me to give them a sense of comfort and have someone that they could lean on.” Kirsten has always shown an interest in nature. While in the Bronx she would spend her Saturdays maintaining walking trails, cleaning up parks and rivers, and learning about different types of trees and birds in the area. During the summer Kirsten traded in the views of high rise buildings in her hometown for greener landscapes and fresher air, attending a Massachusetts based camp that was part of the Manas Education Program. Kirsten landed her first leadership role at this summer ecology program when she was 17 years old. She said her job as a counselor emphasized the need to seek feedback from others. “Sometimes people confuse leadership with being only yourself, but it also takes being a member of a team,” Kirsten said. “When I made choices I wanted to make sure we made a decision after we had come together and expressed our preferences and opinions.” For Kirsten, the diverse backgrounds and ideas of participants and speakers in the Gumbo Coalition program stood out. For example, she got to interact with a mother who was attending school full time and international students at other colleges and universities. Attending the sessions helped Kirsten figure out the best way to express herself in a leadership role. She felt the advice the speakers in the program gave was applicable to lots of positions including jobs, internships, and volunteer work. “When you lose confidence in yourself that can cloud your perspective,” Kirsten said. “The program brought up situations you will need to stand up for yourself or amplify your own voice and own ideas.” In the fall of her junior year Kirsten had what she called “a groundbreaking moment” for her career aspirations. She interned in the Emergency Room at Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Before my internship it was hard to grasp just how serious COVID was, but once I was able to place myself in the shoes of healthcare workers I gained appreciation for them,” Kirsten said. “I saw how chaotic the healthcare system can be and had to try to manage myself within the chaos and be able to focus on taking care of the patients and giving them what they needed.” “I want to be able to make that connection between the patient and doctor,” Kirsten said. “Because when there is a disconnect, the patient can feel like a lab experiment rather than a human being. That disconnect can especially be an issue in hospitals where a lot of patients are women of color.” A large part of Kirsten’s internship was shadowing physician’s assistants at the hospital who were reading the results of X-Rays and other tests, diagnosing patients, and determining course of action. Kirsten worked during the night shift when people with the coronavirus were coming into the Emergency Room along with homeless people and other people suffering from various forms of addiction.
Seeing the wide range of medical issues these patients were diagnosed with inspired Kirsten to look into the field of forensic nursing as a possible career choice. Forensic nurses treat and advocate for patients who have long-term health problems after being a victim of assault, abuse, neglect, or other forms of violence. “I want to be able to make that connection between the patient and doctor,” Kirsten said. “Because when there is a disconnect, the patient can feel like a lab experiment rather than a human being. That disconnect can especially be an issue in hospitals where a lot of patients are women of color.” Kirsten is researching accelerated nursing school programs in New York City that would allow her to become a registered nurse. She said the speakers in the Gumbo Coalition program taught her how to gather information and use it to get buy in from your colleagues for your own ideas on how to progress in a variety of environments. “Sometimes there are situations in healthcare where you might have to voice your opinion during debates about the course of action to take with a patient,” Kirsten said. “You want to be able to have your facts and everything you need to show why you should take this course of action.” About the Gumbo Coalition University Mentorship Program: The Gumbo Coalition University Mentorship Program is a 12-week virtual mentorship program sponsored by Resorts World Casino New York City. The program brings students face to face with recognized leaders across business, media, and the non-profit world. Over the course of the program, students learn the attributes of a transformative leader, how to build consensus, and how to make decisions under pressure through immersive discussions and exercises. Upon completion of the program students receive a $500 scholarship. The program is inspired by renowned civic leader Marc Morial, President & CEO of the National Urban League, and the leadership lessons from his first book, The Gumbo Coalition: 10 Leadership Lessons that Help You Inspire, Unite, and Achieve.
1 Comment
Desmond Murray
5/19/2022 09:48:42 am
Great news story about Caroline. I've learned so much about her by reading this article. I wish her the best!!!!
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