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Volunteering at the U.S.-Mexico border helped a nurse find meaning in her work

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Time for StoryCorps. Today, a story about rediscovering meaning in your work. Angelina McCall began her nursing career at an emergency room in Tucson, Ariz. It was 2020 at the height of COVID. She left that job about a year later and doubted whether she was cut out for nursing.

ANGELINA MCCALL: I was very embarrassed and ashamed. And I thought, OK, well, I can't work in the ER, but I am bilingual. I have a car. And I live right on the border. My mom is from Mexico. She's an immigrant. So I thought I can maybe help these migrants that are stuck at the border right now.

I applied for the volunteer position at a clinic, and when I got there, people were coming in for first aid. They have an injury in their foot, wound care, blister care, and they open up, and they tell me stories that are very difficult. There was one family that came in and the little girl was probably around 10, and the dad of the little girl starts to cry. And he's telling me that the reason why they left their home country was because there was someone who was trying to hurt his daughter, and he couldn't protect her down there. And I tell myself, OK, I'm going to let him know that he is in a safe place, that he is worthy of safety, love, compassion, and then be a nurse and help the young girl.

That little girl drew these pictures for me, and they express their love for me, a stranger. And at that point, I realized the one year that I struggled in the ER - as much as I feel like I failed, I am actually using the skills that I learned. Nursing is a beautiful thing. It can be amazing to be with someone during their worst situation. And I ask myself, why did I become a nurse? And it's to do this kind of work.

MARTÍNEZ: Angelina McCall with her husband, Matt, in Tucson, Ariz. Angelina decided not to leave nursing, and she still volunteers at the clinic on the border. Her interview is archived at the Library of Congress. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Esther Honig

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.