Duty with a Side of Gratification: Young Alumna Gives Back to Bloom

Lizmeidy Hernandez '20 may be a primary care physician associate responsible for over 100 patients today, but not long ago she was a nervous and undecided, albeit prepared, undergraduate student.

“The Bloom curriculum and leadership opportunities were very rigorous,” recalled Hernandez. “So I was very prepared for P.A. school.”

Despite the academic rigor and the professional skills she acquired by being involved in the Husky Ambassadors and other student organizations, Hernandez still wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to

 stick with the health professions and briefly considered a switch to marketing. And while she did end up a P.A., the connections she made at the Career Intensive Boot Camp (CIBC) with alumni in the marketing field remain in her network today. In fact, she has been able to use those connections to help current students.

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so I made connections in the fields of medicine and marketing,” said Hernandez. “The alumni at the time told me that even if I didn’t go into marketing, they would review my resume again and provide feedback. I liked that.”

Hernandez said that when it did come time to interview for graduate schools and eventually P.A. positions, she did so well because of CIBC and other alumni networking events that allowed her to practice her communication skills and gain confidence. As a matter of fact, every employer with which she interviewed offered her a full-time job on the spot. Those transformational experiences led Hernandez to help other students who may need encouragement and confidence as they take their next professional step.

“I’m doing very well in my career because of Bloom,” said Hernandez. “I wanted to share my experience and how it helped me. I was lucky that I had support from advisers and found all the opportunities, and I wanted to tell them how I did it.”

Hernandez first volunteered as an alumni panelist for first generation college students. Soon afterward, she volunteered again as a resume reviewer and mock interviewer for CIBC and found herself providing that same level of confidence and professional connections she had gained from the event as an undergrad.

“I gave feedback on introducing and presenting themselves,” explained Hernandez. “They were nervous, and it gave them confidence. It was gratifying to receive the thank you notes and LinkedIn messages telling me how much I had helped them.”

For Hernandez, that gratification is a side effect of what she feels is the duty of alumni to give back, regardless of major, class year, or career path. She says that even if it is simply answering a question, providing encouragement, or connecting them with other alumni in their field, everyone can do something to help.

“We received so much help when we were students, so it’s in our hands to reach out to other generations,” explained Hernandez. “It doesn’t matter who or where you are; everyone has something to contribute. You never know the impact it can have on them.”