Sandra Espinosa
Master's Social Gerontology

I was born and raised in the musical capital of Colombia, Ibague. After
high school I pursued my bachelor degree in Fashion Design, and then I studied Architecture Interior Design. It was about this time that my father was diagnosed with and soon passed away from kidney disease. After my father’s death, I re-evaluated what I wanted to pursue academically.

It took me two years to finally decide to come to the United States and learn English through UNO’s ESL program, and now I am in the Gerontology master’s program because I have learned that I like to help others. While I was working in Colombia as a volunteer I discovered through people’s faces how much I enjoyed working with people. I discovered the ability to take care of people, as I did with my father when he was in his last stages of kidney disease before he died. It was after that I decided to help people with this kind of illness to show them that somebody cares about them.

I am a person who likes challenges, I am not afraid of change and I am always willing to help and assist those in need. I am a dreamer, an optimist, an enterprising and sensitive person. It was only after the death of my father that I woke up, to this talent of service to assist people in the health field, then I understood the great value of being able to help those in need. I linked to a foundation for cancer patients that was very rewarding and something that helped me grow as a person and understand God's mercy through the organization. I began this journey with many dreams and eager to start a new life, to seek a new direction and improve all aspects of my life. Moving to the US, tackling the educational objectives I have, and being away from family has been a challenge. It isn’t easy, but when I have a goal I want to reach in life, I will always find a way to make my dreams come true. I am in my last year of the masters, and hope after a finish it to be able to find a job in the field of Gerontology.