Name: Clare Wieland
Hometown: Bloomington, IL
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Science Pre Professional Studies, Supplementary Spanish Major, and Latino Studies Minor
Dorm: Badin / Off-campus
Favorite memory at ND: The ND-Michigan Football Weekend
What activities are you involved in on campus?
VP of Harmonia, VP of Irish Fighting for St. Judes, Student Coalition for Immigration Advocacy (SCIA), GlobalMed ND, Badin Flag Football, Baraka Bouts
What do you hope to gain from your major or minor in Latino Studies?
Clare hopes to deepen her cultural awareness and language proficiency since she sees herself working in a bilingual population as a medical professional. It is important for her to decrease the language and cultural barrier between her future patients and herself. She believes that medicine often can be practiced in a narrow-minded way. Therefore, she wishes to pursue her career in a different light to truly make a difference through the understanding of the patient’s background to be a better companion to their needs.
What would you like to do after Notre Dame? How do you feel the Institute of Latino Studies is helping you achieve these goals?
After Notre Dame, Clare wishes to attend medical school. Concerning ILS, the institute has given her a lot of resources and faculty connections that understand the relation between Latino Studies and healthcare, which has helped her be inquisitive of medicine in the Latino community. Clare currently works alongside the South Bend community, with the help of Dr. Richman, developing a project about the effects of COVID-19 in the Latino community. In summer 2021, she hopes to participate in CCLP (Cross-Cultural Leadership Program) while serving as a part-time volunteer at Beacon Health System. In her role, she will be a Stroke Center Patient Advocate and conduct outreach to the Latinx community in Elkhart, IN, under the leadership of Dr. Lopez, Medical Director of Neurology. Her Latino Studies minor has opened avenues in the healthcare field that are usually unexplored and not readily available to students interested in the personal complexity of the field. Moreover, Claire enjoys the balance that her Latino Studies minor brings to her science education through the integration of more humanities courses.
Which ILS activity has been the most meaningful to you? If you had the opportunity, what event would you be interested in attending?
Her favorite event has been the screening of Selena at DPAC alongside Dr. Fraga’s presentation and discussion about the film. Clare grew up watching the movie in her Spanish classes, but she truly enjoyed having the opportunity to see the movie in a new light along with the discussion with someone who has lived Selena’s bicultural experience. If she had the opportunity, she would be interested in meeting with medical professionals who focus on immigrant healthcare and undocumented populations in the United States.
For more information about the ILS supplementary major or minor, please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Karen Richman.