Spotlight on Dr. Natalia Chaimowitz
In 2001, a young girl from Argentina sat in a Florida classroom that could best be described as completely foreign to her. But the obstacles she would face, particularly the language barrier, would not be unsurmountable.
In 2001, a young girl from Argentina sat in a Florida classroom that could best be described as completely foreign to her. But the obstacles she would face, particularly the language barrier, would not be unsurmountable.
"When my parents moved our family here, I didn't speak English at all," immunologist Natalia Chaimowitz, M.D., Ph.D., recalled. "So that first year of learning to understand and speak English was important but I was able to prove myself."
Along with becoming bilingual and navigating the normal, sometimes turbulent, waters of high school, Dr. Chaimowitz walked away with a valuable lesson that she still applies to her life and career. "We must treat each other with respect because we are all important," she said. "I think that comes from those years when I was almost written off because I was 'just the girl who didn't speak English.' I want every person to know they have worth."