Staff profile: Anna Sease
A native-born Oregonian, Anna Sease discovered her life’s passion in Mexico. As a Philomath Rotary Club exchange student, she spent a year in Coatepec, Veracruz, where she not only mastered Spanish but also intepreted for a medical team performing free surgeries, also a Rotary program.
“I love speaking Spanish,” Anna said. “I usually go after any excuse that allows me to do that.”
At the University of Oregon, where she got a bachelor’s of science in biology, Anna volunteered as an intepreter for Northwest Medical Teams (now Medical Teams International) dental van. She also worked in Costa Rica as a naturalist guide at an ecological reserve, which greatly improved her Spanish. She found Project Access NOW while traveling overseas after college.
“I was working at a sandwich shop in Blenheim, New Zealand, when I decided I wanted to work in a field I care about. I researched my options back in Oregon while I was in Indonesia, and then emailed [Director of Operations] Janet Hamilton asking to work or volunteer at Project Access NOW.”
Anna joined the Project Access Washington County program, then housed at the Essential Health Clinic in June 2010. She said, “I both worked and volunteered there. I feel fortunate to have had the experience. It’s a pretty amazing environment and group of people that support the Clinic. I enjoyed being a part of that community.”
Following the move of Project Access Washington County to the regional office, Anna joined the Project Access NOW team. She works as Care Coordinator for Washington County and continues to pursue her passion.
She said, “My biggest motivation is that all the energy I put into my job has a positive impact on someone’s life.”
As for the future, Anna recently completed Portland Community College’s Health care Interpreter Training program and would like to be a physician’s assistant someday.
(May 2011)
