Bringing the World Home to San Bernardino
By Stephanie Skillman
As a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, Stephanie Skillman worked with Junior Achievement to strengthen and broaden existing small business programs in the rural areas of Jalapa. Now, studying global health as a Peace Corps Fellow at Loma Linda University School of Public Health, Stephanie is strengthening the family tutoring program that LLU coordinates and sponsors for children in kindergarten through high school. She also facilitates meetings of a neighborhood association.
Stephanie feels that her experience as a Peace Corps Fellow is an example of how lessons learned overseas can be applied stateside. Much of what she learned as a volunteer directly relates to the work that she is doing with the growing Latino population in San Bernardino, California.
In Guatemala, she worked primarily with indigenous children and adolescents. The parents felt as though they were unable to access services to create a better future for themselves and their children. In the United States, segments of the Latino population face similar challenges.
The family tutoring program is one example of the University’s dedication to addressing the social and health disparities that affect a large immigrant population settled in San Bernardino. LLU students volunteer a couple hours a week to mentor children while English classes are offered to parents. Stephanie acts as a liaison between University students and the families whose children are enrolled in the program.
Under the guidance of Juan Carlos Belliard, PhD, MPH, an Assistant Professor of Global Health and Environmental & Occupational Health at LLU, Stephanie works with a neighborhood association formed by mothers dedicated to addressing the needs of families in the community. Stephanie supports the association in its efforts to organize, establish clear objectives, and develop a plan of action.
Among the needs the association has identified are disenfranchisement from local authorities and organizations and a lack of safe play spaces close by for children and their families. Currently, Stephanie is part of a group of public health students planning a project that will bring residents and community organizations together to plan and construct a safe play space.
Stephanie’s goal is to empower the Latino neighborhood association to effectively address community needs and build positive relationships with local leaders. It is her hope that through participation in the building of a community play space, relationships among residents and local leaders will be strengthened, enabling continued communication. Her experience in the Peace Corps continues to play a key role in the decisions she makes, and she values both the Peace Corps and LLU’s commitment to service. She uses her experience as a former Peace Corps volunteer and current Peace Corps Fellow to encourage others to become involved in community-building activities. “I think that being a Peace Corps Fellow is one of the best ways to bring Peace Corps home,” says Stephanie. “Not only do I get a chance to apply what I learned in the field, but people are constantly asking me about my experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer. I love to share and hope that by doing so others are motivated to get involved, whether overseas or stateside.”
--from Peace Corps Fellows/USA Newsletter, Summer 2006
Juan Carlos Belliard, PhD, MPH, Stephanie Skillman, and Ron Mataya, MD.
