What made you want to become an IBCLC?

I currently work as a nurse in a women and infants department in an Ohio hospital. Each shift I am given the opportunity to work with women wanting to breastfeed and/or pump and oftentimes there are barriers I am unable to navigate due to limited knowledge and experience. I want to become an IBCLC to be able to better support my patients in their breastfeeding journey in a way that is unique to their needs and wants.

How do you hope to make a difference as an IBCLC?

As an IBCLC, I hope to impact the lives of the families that I get to work with for the better. I hope that with my support and resources, they feel confident and recognize their own potential in cultivating their own success. While I know I may not be able to change their circumstances entirely, any step towards their direction of choice is a victory in my book.

Why is winning Pacify's Diversity in Lactation Scholarship is meaningful to you?

Winning Pacify’s Diversity in Lactation Scholarship is so meaningful to me because it aims to promote diversity in an area of motherhood where there are already many disparities. As Muslim, Somali-American women, I am able to acknowledge the disparities faced by the women whom I identify with. I hope to provide culturally-competent care that is judgment free and truly supportive of each mother’s needs. This scholarship will allow me to further gain the knowledge and skills needed to better support the patients or clients I work with in the future. There are significant racial and ethnic disparities in breastfeeding rates and maternal mortality rates of women of color in the United States that should no longer be ignored. I believe that each awardee of this scholarship is one more individual willing to help address these issues.