Student Leader Stands Up for Diversity

Fernando Mena-Carrasco knows no limits when it comes to advocating for Hispanic and vulnerable populations across the world. In pursuit of his BSN-MSN degree with plans of becoming a clinical nurse specialist, he has long been a champion to the Latino population.

In 2011, Mena-Carrasco worked as a case and clinic manager of a primary care center in St. Louis, using his background in social work to help Latino immigrants find primary and HIV/AIDS care. “I really began to understand the barriers that the Latino population faces when trying to make their way in the U.S., and

I wanted to make a difference,” he says. It was also through his involvement with Medicines for Humanity, a non-profit committed to serving poverty-stricken communities, that he was able to make recommendations to government and hospital officials in the Dominican Republic on lowering child mortality rates.

At Johns Hopkins, Mena-Carrasco assists the School of Nursing’s Center for Global Initiatives and the PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center by helping to develop and implement programs that strengthen the school’s global ties. Not only has he been instrumental in managing the

This work has taught Mena-Carrasco that one of the best ways to help the Hispanic population is by having a voice and a seat at the table. “Within the next five years, I want to pursue my doctorate degree and further expand my reach as a clinician. It’s critical that we create open dialogue among communities and professions, actively advocate for policies and procedures to improve health, and that we use nursing to pave the way to healthcare innovation.”