Diverse New Scholarship Awardees To Expand their Gifts of Leadership & Language Skills

Congratulations to the new awardees of Giving Voice’s Leadership Scholarship, Sisters Margaret Muchire, Sarah Cieplinski, Blanca Rosa Caledron Gonazalez, Karina Conrad, Sr Nathalie Becquart xmcj, Jana Polakova, Sister Rosalia Meza, VDMF & Sr. Olga Sanchez, CMS! Read about Sister Margaret's journey below & Click through our Scholarship Awardee page to learn more about the new winners of our scholarship program to advance leadership, language and bridge-building among younger Catholic Sisters.

Sister Margaret Muchire

I am very grateful to GivingVoice for awarding me this Leadership Initiative Scholarship. I am to use this Scholarship to learn Spanish, which is a growing language in the United States of America. It is becoming almost the one “must learn and speak” languages in society and in the workplace. Also, the Hispanic Catholics are increasing significantly, making it a need for better and inclusive evangelization to know their language and understand their culture. In addition, my Congregation is international, with Sisters in some South America countries; we also have an increasing number of Spanish-speaking new members within the United States.

Therefore, this Leadership Initiative Scholarship will help me prepare in many aspects in society and in the place of Ministry. As a Registered Nurse, I have many times felt challenged in my ministry to the sick by my Spanish language deficit, especially when caring for patients who only speak Spanish. In such situations of language barrier, having a physically or virtually present translator is not satisfactory for me. I have always felt a communication-gap and desire to be directly involved with those I care for. This always prompts my inner self-talk stating: “I need to learn Spanish.” Learning Spanish will improve my interaction with my colleagues and other Spanish-speaking co-workers. I also like going for mission trips; one in a Latin American country would be more fruitful and fulfilling if I know general Spanish and Spanish for Health Care Workers.

At this moment, I am enrolled in a course: Basic Spanish for Medical Professions. This is being offered by Lockhaven University, in Lockhaven PA. I am learning a lot and I really like the course. My hope is that after this course, I will advance my Spanish skills using the scholarship too. My eventual goal is, if possible, to participate in a Spanish immersion program and a medical mission trip in one of Latin American countries.