A childhood interest in medicine and a health crisis solidified Sarai Jimenez-Juarez’s path to becoming a surgical nurse.
As an oldest daughter and a first-generation college student with close ties to her family, Sarai Jimenez-Juarez ’28 was raised by a single mom and grandmother who supported her dreams.
“I saw firsthand their hard work and sacrifices they made to raise me to become a person full of determination and purpose,” Jimenez-Juarez says. “Their strength continues to be my biggest encouragement to succeed and to pursue the opportunities they never had.”
She has always been interested in the medical field. Childhood visits to the doctor often sparked curiosity about the different tools and procedures. But in 2022, a personal health crisis brought that interest into sharp focus. When a brain tumor required her to undergo surgery, Jimenez-Juarez was deeply inspired by the care of her nurse and started to consider a career in nursing.
“She was always attentive to every detail of my care, always managing my medication, and offered deep empathy through all my pain,” Jimenez-Juarez explains. “This nurse always encouraged me not to be afraid and to try and overcome the challenges that confronted me after my surgery.”
Despite the encouragement, there were days during her recovery when pain left her feeling discouraged and sad. One day her grandmother offered some adivce that also shaped Jimenez-Juarez’s journey into medicine.
“My grandma told me something that has stuck with me since. She said, ‘With all this pain and suffering, you can it turn into something good, trust God, and you can use this experience to help people who are going through the same thing,’” says Jimenez-Juarez. “This message has kept me passionate about being a nurse.”
Circumstances aligned for Jimenez-Juarez to attend Seattle Pacific University. She would be able to attend a top-ranked nursing school rooted in faith — while staying close to her biggest source of inspiration: her family.
“I grew up in a home where caring for one another was seen as an act of love, whether it was for strangers, friends, or family. I am so grateful that God gave me the family I have because without them, I would not be where I am today,” she says. “Their encouragement has motivated me to follow a career in nursing as a means to profoundly care for others, the way I have been cared for in my life.”
Now in her sophomore year, Jimenez-Juarez is thriving. She’s a frequent attendee of Chapel on campus and an active participant in intramurals with her friends. Already, her prerequisite classes are equipping her with the knowledge and experience to become a surgical nurse.
As she looks ahead to the rest of her journey at SPU and beyond, Jimenez-Juarez says her experiences have clarified her career goals but deepened her desire to serve others with the same compassion and faith that supported her through challenges.
“God has put in my heart the passion to help and care for others. Because of my faith, I am deeply motivated to complete my dream of making a change in this world by becoming a nurse,” Jimenez-Juarez reflects. “God has given me a calling in nursing, and my belief in caring for others the way Jesus did encourages me to bring empathy and hopefulness to nursing.”
