After more than three years of faithfully serving at the GRACE Community Clinic, we are grateful to celebrate Karen Ninan as she begins an exciting new chapter. While we will miss her tremendously, to say we’re thankful for the impact she has made on patients and staff alike would be an understatement.
Karen began volunteering with the GRACE Community Clinic in April 2022 and has since dedicated more than 430 hours of service. After transitioning from a career teaching English as a second language, she was eager to gain experience as a healthcare interpreter for Spanish-speaking patients while pursuing her certification.
Karen learned Spanish while growing up in Nicaragua, where her parents served with a local church. When she discovered the opportunity to volunteer at the GRACE Community Clinic, she knew it would be the perfect place to strengthen her medical vocabulary and put her studies into practice. In November 2022, she successfully passed the oral healthcare interpreter certification exam and became nationally certified through the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI).
Having spent much of her childhood overseas, Karen has always been drawn to people from different cultural backgrounds. She enjoys learning from others and building meaningful connections across cultures.
Today, Karen says interpreting for Spanish-speaking patients at the GRACE Community Clinic brings her tremendous joy and fulfillment. Knowing she can bridge the communication gap between patients and medical providers by giving each a clear voice is deeply rewarding. She also credits the clinic's volunteers for creating such a welcoming environment.
"The medical providers, nurses, pharmacists, and everyone else who volunteers at the GRACE Community Clinic are so warm and compassionate and care deeply about the patients. I genuinely feel like I am part of a team here at GRACE."
Karen's compassion and dedication have left an immeasurable mark on the GRACE Community Clinic, and we wish her every success in this next season. We know she will continue changing lives wherever she goes!
