Valentina Segovia

Valentina was born in Chile, where her family’s resilience during Pinochet’s dictatorship exemplified community strength. Her family’s covert efforts to provide emergency medical care to neighbors during tyranny imbued her with a sense of service. She carried the lesson that resilience and empowerment stem from a community’s collective effort, and it laid the foundation for her future. 

At 16, Valentina traveled to Honduras amid a coup, volunteering as a translator for a public health initiative providing inaccessible communities with infrastructure, potable water, and healthcare. She discovered the power of communication and empathy bridging the gap between families and healthcare, emphasizing connectivity in humanitarian efforts. 

As an EMT, she attended the University of Illinois at Chicago studying French and Psychology driven by a desire to build ties across cultures. Volunteering with the NGO Floating Doctors in Panama solidified this aspiration. As their lead translator, and then Clinic Manager, she recognized that effective healthcare delivery transcends logistical preparation; it requires forging connections, fostering mutual understanding and trust. Valentina continued her education, becoming a Paramedic then an ER nurse, caring for diverse communities. 

Earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice at Johns Hopkins University, specializing in Pediatrics, she will continue her mission to bolster communities through leadership, education, and compassion. Married to her high school sweetheart, Valentina is a proud military spouse and mother to identical twins; whose NICU survival remains a reminder of miracles wrought by collaborative care. She embraces contributing to her community, embodying service wherever she goes.