Luisa joins the GIS team and connects the skills to her goal of being a medical professional.

Before I came to Hopeworks, I had already heard about it from a friend who had started some time ago. At the time, I was more focused on school and maintaining my academic standing. With the events of 2020, namely the pandemic, the entire world shifted to online/remote school and work. While still a priority for me, my classes became more comfortable to manage online and opened up a lot of free time for myself. Jobs that were hiring were either unable to accommodate my school schedule or put me in roles that increase my risk of contracting and spreading Covid-19 to my family. Again, Hopeworks was mentioned to me, and I found out it took place remotely, so I jumped on the opportunity to join. 

Hopeworks has opened up a new world of possibilities, experiences, and connections to me. While the technical skills I have learned won’t be applied explicitly to my field of study, they are very valuable. Hopeworks provides more than just the technical skills; there are also the interpersonal skills we develop by having open and honest dialogue with supervisors and peers alike. The trauma-informed approach is crucial to the Hopeworks experience for me, understanding why I feel the way I do, and how to manage and work through these complicated feelings. Hopeworks has also helped me speak with people in fields different from my own and see where they may be interconnected. 

Presently, I am a pre-med student at Rutgers University in my final year of undergrad, preparing to take my MCAT and then applying to medical school. My dream is to become a pediatrician, and I believe the trauma-informed care taught at Hopeworks will help me better tend to my future patients as I heal them physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

A few weeks ago, I joined the GIS team as an intern at Hopeworks because geography plays an important role in understanding people. I hope to use the skills that I will learn in the future to analyze health trends, track the spread of infectious diseases, and better understand my patients through a different perspective. 

You can view Luisa’s portfolio presentation here!

September 8, 2025
Hopeworks and Dell Technologies Launch AI Innovation Hub to Skill the Future Workforce

Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ – July 31, 2025 – Hopeworks, a social enterprise dedicated to empowering young adults to establish living wage careers, announces the launch of state-of-the-art AI Innovation Hubs at both of their facilities located in Philadelphia and Camden. The initiative, made possible by an in-kind donation of a DellAI Factory with […]

Read More
September 3, 2025
🚀 America’s Next Moonshot: Turning National AI Policy into Local Opportunity

The future of work isn’t coming—it’s here. And it’s being shaped by AI, faster than most realize. When America set out to land on the Moon, it wasn’t just about exploration. It was about uniting public and private efforts around an audacious goal, proving that when we aim high, we can achieve the spectacular. The […]

Read More
September 2, 2025
Young Professionals Making Their Mark

Big things are happening, four young adults just stepped into new roles in public health, education, youth advocacy, and healthcare! Ready to hire the next generation of changemakers? Let’s connect and bring Hopeworks talent to your team.

Read More
808 Market St.,
Camden, NJ 08102
(856) 365-4673
Hopeworks is a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization, EIN: 31-1660671.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram