Sandra E. Isidro is a proud Peruvian American Healthcare Data Analyst. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Health Administration with a concentration in Health informatics from George Mason University . In 2023, she earned a Master’s in Science in Health Informatics with a concentration in Data Analytics and a Graduate certificate in Healthcare Data Analytics from George Mason University. Now as a Healthcare Data and Reporting Analyst at one of the top ranked healthcare insurance companies in the US, she uses data to tell stories, improve patient outcomes and streamline care delivery by bridging her passion for technology with her commitment to health equity.
I moved to the United States with my family in 2001. The road was not easy. Coming to a new country, learning a new language, leaving family, friends and leaving my engineering college education were a few of the obstacles that I faced. I had no other choice but to stop my dream of getting a higher education. As the eldest sibling, I felt the need and responsibility to help my parents get back on their feet as we were starting a new life in a new country.
While I was working on low paying jobs, I realized that without an education things will be more complicated, but without financial resources and the need to help my parents, these goals were [placed] on hold for many years. Shortly [after], I got married and soon I became [the] mother of two boys. However, the dream of continuing a college education was always there. After many years of putting my education on hold to support my family and raise my children, I decided to go back to school, and I enrolled in Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC). Having to support a family and working full time made my academic journey extremely difficult, but not impossible. NVCC gave me the chance to take classes at my own pace, gave me the academic foundation that I needed before transferring to a four-year university. In 2018, I graduated with a bachelor’s in science in Health Administration with a concentration in Health Informatics from George Mason University. During my undergraduate studies, I took different classes that awakened my Health Informatics passion. Classes such as Python, Database Fundamentals, Mobile Health and Privacy and Security in Health Informatics were determinant to my future as a Health Informatics professional. During my last year of college, I won the AMIA First Look scholarship to attend the annual American Medical Informatics Association symposium. The purpose of the AMIA First Look program was to expose undergraduate women with an interest in Health Informatics to mentors already in the health informatics and STEM industry. Attending that symposium made me realize the importance of continuing my education. At the beginning of the pandemic, I was accepted to the George Mason University Health Informatics Data Analytics Master’s program. It was difficult to concentrate in school during that time of uncertainty, anxiety, and quarantine, but my determination and “ganas” were always bigger than any adversities that I have encountered throughout my life. Two years ago, I finally joined the 8% of Latinas with a master’s degree in the US and I was the only Latina in the
2023 graduate class.
STEM is hard for everyone. I was always anxious and scared at the beginning of every semester thinking that I was not cut out for a career in technology. In every science or technology class that I took during [graduate] school, I was the only Latina in the room. I would tell myself, “I can’t do this. There is nobody else in this room that looks like me.” However, knowing that I was the only Latina in the room gave me the strength to keep going. We need more representation in STEM careers and especially in the Health Data Analytics/ Health Informatics/ Data Science fields. I feel that you cannot be what cannot see. Therefore, having a role model that looks like yourself helps, especially when you are the first person you know to pursue a certain path. As an immigrant woman in my field, I look back at my struggles and I just think how proud and happy it makes me to [know] that I am paving the way for my children, family, friends, and other women like me.
It’s been over 17 years since I started working in the healthcare insurance industry. At the beginning as a customer service representative, then as a health insurance reimbursement specialist & medical coding representative, and now as healthcare data analyst. I am looking forward to keep learning and [gaining] more technical and machine learning skills to become a Healthcare Data Scientist. Across all races and ethnicities, women remain underrepresented in the tech field, holding just 26 percent of the positions. For Hispanic women, this disparity is even worse, as they make up just two percent. This reminded me [of what] what a recruiter said at my current job: “You are the first Latina that I hired in a technology position. I’m very proud of you.”
This is just a reminder that everyone can learn something new every day. You don’t need to be an expert in math or science to pursue a STEM career. We need more representation in the health data analytics field, but I feel that you cannot be what [you] cannot see. Therefore, representation matters, especially when you are the first person you know to pursue a certain path.
I am always proud to share my story and help others (especially women) to reach their academic dreams just like I did. If you are reading this, I want you to know that it is never too late- no obstacle is bigger than your dreams. Persistence and curiosity matters. Si se puede!!
I moved to the United States with my family in 2001. The road was not easy. Coming to a new country, learning a new language, leaving family, friends and leaving my engineering college education were a few of the obstacles that I faced. I had no other choice but to stop my dream of getting a higher education. As the eldest sibling, I felt the need and responsibility to help my parents get back on their feet as we were starting a new life in a new country.
While I was working on low paying jobs, I realized that without an education things will be more complicated, but without financial resources and the need to help my parents, these goals were [placed] on hold for many years. Shortly [after], I got married and soon I became [the] mother of two boys. However, the dream of continuing a college education was always there. After many years of putting my education on hold to support my family and raise my children, I decided to go back to school, and I enrolled in Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC). Having to support a family and working full time made my academic journey extremely difficult, but not impossible. NVCC gave me the chance to take classes at my own pace, gave me the academic foundation that I needed before transferring to a four-year university. In 2018, I graduated with a bachelor’s in science in Health Administration with a concentration in Health Informatics from George Mason University. During my undergraduate studies, I took different classes that awakened my Health Informatics passion. Classes such as Python, Database Fundamentals, Mobile Health and Privacy and Security in Health Informatics were determinant to my future as a Health Informatics professional. During my last year of college, I won the AMIA First Look scholarship to attend the annual American Medical Informatics Association symposium. The purpose of the AMIA First Look program was to expose undergraduate women with an interest in Health Informatics to mentors already in the health informatics and STEM industry. Attending that symposium made me realize the importance of continuing my education. At the beginning of the pandemic, I was accepted to the George Mason University Health Informatics Data Analytics Master’s program. It was difficult to concentrate in school during that time of uncertainty, anxiety, and quarantine, but my determination and “ganas” were always bigger than any adversities that I have encountered throughout my life. Two years ago, I finally joined the 8% of Latinas with a master’s degree in the US and I was the only Latina in the
2023 graduate class.
STEM is hard for everyone. I was always anxious and scared at the beginning of every semester thinking that I was not cut out for a career in technology. In every science or technology class that I took during [graduate] school, I was the only Latina in the room. I would tell myself, “I can’t do this. There is nobody else in this room that looks like me.” However, knowing that I was the only Latina in the room gave me the strength to keep going. We need more representation in STEM careers and especially in the Health Data Analytics/ Health Informatics/ Data Science fields. I feel that you cannot be what cannot see. Therefore, having a role model that looks like yourself helps, especially when you are the first person you know to pursue a certain path. As an immigrant woman in my field, I look back at my struggles and I just think how proud and happy it makes me to [know] that I am paving the way for my children, family, friends, and other women like me.
It’s been over 17 years since I started working in the healthcare insurance industry. At the beginning as a customer service representative, then as a health insurance reimbursement specialist & medical coding representative, and now as healthcare data analyst. I am looking forward to keep learning and [gaining] more technical and machine learning skills to become a Healthcare Data Scientist. Across all races and ethnicities, women remain underrepresented in the tech field, holding just 26 percent of the positions. For Hispanic women, this disparity is even worse, as they make up just two percent. This reminded me [of what] what a recruiter said at my current job: “You are the first Latina that I hired in a technology position. I’m very proud of you.”
This is just a reminder that everyone can learn something new every day. You don’t need to be an expert in math or science to pursue a STEM career. We need more representation in the health data analytics field, but I feel that you cannot be what [you] cannot see. Therefore, representation matters, especially when you are the first person you know to pursue a certain path.
I am always proud to share my story and help others (especially women) to reach their academic dreams just like I did. If you are reading this, I want you to know that it is never too late- no obstacle is bigger than your dreams. Persistence and curiosity matters. Si se puede!!
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