Second-year undergraduate nursing student Camila Isabel Ramos Rivera has packed a lot of activities into her first few semesters at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU).
“I completed two clinical rotations in my first year and I’m working as a clinical technician in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Cleveland Clinic,” she said.
It’s the type of experience she was looking for when researching nursing programs. The combination of CWRU’s programs and access to varied clinical settings wasn’t available to Ramos Rivera in her hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“I chose the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing because of its hands-on program and surrounding hospitals. I wanted to be exposed to the nursing field in my first year and start working as a nursing assistant,” she said.
At home in San Juan, Ramos Rivera said she lives 10 minutes away from her two favorite places: the beach and Viejo San Juan (Old San Juan).
“San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico, an island located in the Caribbean and a territory of the United States. Centuries ago, the Spanish settled in Viejo San Juan creating a fortified city impenetrable from invaders,” she said. “Today, you can enjoy the cobblestone streets, historic forts such as el Morro, Puerto Rican food, and the beautiful old Spanish homes.”
In addition to her work as a nursing student, Ramos Rivera is active in La Alianza, a CWRU student organization celebrating Latinx culture, supporting Latinx students on campus, and serving the Latinx community in Cleveland. During her first year she was a co-freshman representative, and this year she was elected as Vice President of Internal Affairs.
“The events on campus aim to support La Alianza’s members on an academic, social, and cultural level,” she said. “Our last event was Noche Latina, where we enjoyed Latin music at Jolly Scholar and raised funds for La Alianza and SHPE’s (an ally Latinx, STEM organization) scholarships. I’m looking forward in planning Gala Latina, where we celebrate Latinx excellence and students share stories of Latinx success.”
Through partnerships with outside organizations, Ramos Rivera said La Alianza provides volunteering opportunities and programs to members to serve the Greater Cleveland area, specifically Latinx communities.
“We have worked with HOLA Ohio and Esperanza in the past,” she said. “Currently we are offering our members a youth mentoring program with The Refugee Response and a crisis counselor training with Crisis Text Line.”
Get To Know Camila
Favorite Hispanic food(s)? Mofongo a la criolla, a fried ball of mashed plantains with a savory tomato-based sauce.
Do you like to cook? No. Do I like to eat? Yes!
Favorite Band/Musical Performer? Currently my go-to’s are Rauw Alejandro (trap/reggaeton) and Los Enanitos Verdes (Spanish rock).
What is your favorite book? Don’t have a favorite book, but I’m looking forward to watching the play La Casa de Bernarda Alba, written by Federico García-Lorca and directed by the LatinUs Theater Company.
How do you spend your free time? Here in Cleveland, I like to explore different Latin food restaurants. Here is my top list: El Rinconcito Chapin, Cozumel, Pupuseria y Antojitos Guanaquitas, Cleveland Mofongo, and Rincon Criollo.
What are your hobbies? I have been painting since I was five years old. I took art classes in middle school and high school. Currently, I’m taking painting at CWRU.