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College Bound 6/22/2024
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JIT Alumni Takes the Lead
Sammy Brito’s Story
We are excited to share that JIT Alumni, Samantha Brito, has been selected for the Innovation Initiative Resident Leader position with the Alliance Healthcare Foundation!
Samantha’s role as a Resident Leaders will support the Alliance Healthcare Foundation in advancing health and wellness for everyone in the region, especially those who are historically marginalized. This 12-month process will build innovative ideas to improve health outcomes, access and quality for under-resourced residents in our region. Samantha and other Resident Leaders will help plan and decide which organization will be awarded a grant of up to $1 million.
Simone Hidds Monroe knew that Samantha would be perfect for this role, “I chose Samantha as she carries such critical thoughtfulness, has a powerful and worthy perspective and opinion, has navigated the healthcare system through her own life, and was the winner of our Pathways to Financial Power Shark Tank competition for her innovative app.”
“It has been an enlightening and familiar experience. We have review meetings based on applications to get to the next level. It reminds me of JIT Shark Tank, but on a much higher scope. I enjoy putting my two cents as an SD resident, but it can be intimating because my degrees weren’t in science.”
It’s always rewarding to know our services have a positive impact on the lives of our participants. In the case of Sammy, our Shark Tank competition gave her the confidence and experience for her role with Alliance Healthcare.
HEALING
Healing in community was the theme at JIT’s recent Rise to Resilience retreat and, for 7 hours, JIT participants, alumni, volunteers, Board members, guests and staff took part in conversations, heard from speakers, engaged in breakout groups to explore mindfulness, nourishment, body movement, sleep/rest and more. All in a parking lot that had been transformed into something extraordinary.
A place free of judgment or conflict or fear. A space where communal embrace of learning and an uncommon positive, powerful peaceful energy could be seen and felt passing between friends and strangers alike. A time when everyone was invited to give attention, energy and effort to their own care, while finding that focus only enhanced by the company of others on the same essential journey.
By the end of those seven hours, I was reminded of the words of poet David Whyte:
“Anything or anyone that does not bring you alive, is too small for you.”
May our extraordinary JIT community continue to be big enough for us all in the years to come.
–Don Wells, Chief Empowerment Officer
