Conversations with Dr. Juan Gómez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Juan Gómez.

Hi Dr. Gómez, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I was brought to the United States at age seven, along with my eleven siblings. My mother, a strong woman, knew that she had to do something, and she decided to bring all her children to the United States for a better life. Life was not easy because we had to adapt to a new country. It took time to adjust to a new culture, norms, and beliefs. Some of my siblings were robbed of the opportunity to go to school because they had to work to support the siblings who were younger. Throughout my high school and college career, I had some challenges due to my language barrier. During my high school career, I received a lot of support from my teachers, and they encouraged me to go to college to have a better life. During college, I remember one of my English teachers telling me, “I do not know how you got to college if your English is not good.” I felt like I was a nobody and was discouraged. Why try if my own teachers did not believe in me? I was lost, but I knew that I should not let anyone’s words get in my way. Instead, this teacher’s words made me stronger, and I decided to prove to him that no matter the circumstance or who a person is if you have hopes and goals everything is possible. 

I was not able to apply for any financial assistance and/or get scholarships while in school. This made it hard because I had to pay out-of-state tuition. I, along with my family, had to work after school to be able to pay for my academics. Along the road, I had so many struggles, but I never gave up. I knew if I wanted to get my doctorate one day, I had to fight through my obstacles.  My family gave me a lot of courage and reminded me of the importance of one day getting my doctorate. With the help and support of my family, teachers, friends, and peers I was able to get my Doctorate of Philosophy in the specialized area of public health. My education, community service, and work experience have given me the knowledge to give back to the community in which I live.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Even though I might look happy from the outside, I still remember all the struggles and challenges I went through coming to a new country and not being able to get the same benefits as my peers because I was not a US citizen. It took me time to adapt to a new culture because I faced several challenges, especially with my language barrier. I had to study and work harder than my peers to hopefully one day fit in.

For this reason, I knew I had to prove that I could be a good citizen by educating myself and educating my community on the importance of helping others. Along the way, my family and I had to overcome several obstacles/challenges because of our status in this country. There were times when I wanted to give up. However, I knew that people were going through worse things in life and that made me see the world differently.

Working in my field as a health educator and teacher I have faced several challenges, specifically disrespect and discrimination by others, due to not being able to speak fluent English. However, I must push through, as I know that those, I am helping need me the most. This makes my battle with any obstacle worthwhile. I have had to learn things the hard way though. The challenges I faced during college and the financial struggles we had at home made me a strong person.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am known as Juan, the educator, the health provider, the advocate, and the community servant. I am always willing to help and provide support for those in need. I specialize in different areas:

• As a Social Emotional Generalist at GOAL High School, I provide intensive case management for high-risk adolescents. This work involves intervention with individuals and families, locating community resources, running clubs and community service opportunities, and collaborating with everyone from school administration to probation to mental health counselors. My work helps students find their path to success while encouraging them to reach out and help others.

• As a Community Health Worker for the Department of Public Health and Environment (WCDPE) I work with the community to decrease the health risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and other modifiable risk factors among the Hispanic/Latino population residing in Weld County.

We do this through increasing access to risk factor reduction, increasing health literacy, and building another program for low-income eligible residents. I have also created a community awareness campaign for targeted populations on Lifestyle interventions called “Six pillars to Lifestyle Medicine.”

• As the ESL teacher for Colorado Global Schools, I help students achieve their academic and language-learning goals for a successful life in the United States. I provide a positive educational atmosphere helping my students learn, grow, and succeed in the English language.

• As a health promotion facilitator for the Integrated Nutrition Education Program (INEP) I recruit families for participation and encourage continued engagement with the program by building positive relationships. I also prepare and teach courses related to nutrition.

• As an Instructor for College for Kids I teach and provide a unique, educational, and fun summer experience for students ages 9 to 15 years old, by providing an opportunity to go to college.

• As the Vice-President of Sunrise Montfort Family Clinic, I oversee services to ensure the quality of care and patient safety, budgetary reviews, and approval of expenses. I also work to ensure that Sunrise is meeting the goals and objectives of its mission statement.

• As a Community Engagement and Advocacy Director for the Northern Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition (NCBC), I facilitate educational opportunities, support the treasury in soliciting donations, manage scholarships, and engage NCBC in equitable breastfeeding support and promotion.

• As an advisory committee member for the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment (WCDPE), I periodically review materials distributed in our community. The purpose of this review is to ensure the materials have educational value, meet standards for cultural competence, are easy to understand and align with the moral standards of our community. I also participate in the development, implementation, and evaluation of different projects.

I am very honored to have my family by my side. They have been very supportive of my goals and have celebrated every success with me. The work I am currently engaged in continues to give me hope and inspire me to continue as a teacher, health worker, and community servant.

My work matters because it helps others achieve their goals. As I tell my students, “Education is the key to success. Everyone is born with a gift. Whatever you decide to do, you can make it happen.” Everything is possible if you have the desire to accomplish what you have in mind.

What sets me apart from others is my curiosity and dedication. I am intentional about meeting people and hearing their stories. I have experience with students, teachers, professors, field workers, health workers, immigrants, congresspeople, and presidents. Hearing all of these voices and exploring their experiences allows me to make a bigger impact.

We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
When I’m asked to define success, I see success in different ways. I see myself as successful when I see progress, when I accomplish a task, and when I meet my goal. We can learn so much from things that went away we never wanted. Failure is sometimes the most powerful way to earn compassion and perspective. Everyone is entitled to their own mistakes. We cannot save them or ourselves from that opportunity to learn.

Success for me is when I see that my students, clients, friends, family, and peers have received the help they need. Sometimes a goal can take days, months, or years but if there is progress success can be seen. I see myself as successful because I accomplished my goal of receiving my doctorate and because of the work I do. My job and the work I do in the community make me successful in my pursuit of the American dream.