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Emilia Rodriguez, a volunteer attorney for Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC), was awarded the Jonathan Lippman Pro Bono Award by the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA). The award recognizes the dedication of senior attorneys who generously use their legal knowledge and experience to provide pro bono assistance in New York to underserved members of the community.

Ms. Rodriguez was selected for this award from a highly competitive pool of nominees from across the state. This year she celebrates 13 years as a PWJC volunteer attorney across three programs: Legal Helpline, Family Court Legal Program and Walk-In Legal Clinic. Prior to volunteering with PWJC, “I had no experience in representing survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence. The Pace Women’s Justice Center provided me with training, support and mentoring, which enabled me to meet the legal needs of clients” through their programs, states Ms. Rodriguez.

From giving legal information and resources to providing limited scope representation on family matters, or representing clients in court who need Orders of Protection, Emilia helped over 130 clients in 2021. Known at PWJC as a compassionate and empathetic bilingual attorney who is client-focused, culturally-sensitive and trauma-informed, Emilia helps clients navigate through very complex legal and emotional issues. “The impact she has had on our clients’ ability to live the next chapter of their life in safety is immeasurable,” states Natalie J. Sobchak, PWJC Director of Pro Bono Programs.

The NYSBA award is named in honor of former Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, an inspiring judicial leader who has zealously championed the cause of access to justice and has encouraged and supported the unique contributions of senior attorneys to the pro bono mission. PWJC celebrates its 30^th anniversary in 2022, of providing free civil legal services to victims of abuse and sexual assault opportunities and resources to empower themselves and begin their journey away from abuse and towards healing.

The Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC) is a self-funded nonprofit legal center located at Elisabeth Haub School of Law, under the 501(c)(3) status of Pace University. Each year, PWJC provides free legal services to over 3,500 victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse, as well as conducts or participates in over 140 training and outreach events. Serving Westchester and Putnam Counties, PWJC’s mission is to pursue justice for victims and prevent abuse through quality legal services, community partnerships, education, and awareness. With an experienced staff and a team of dedicated volunteers, including attorneys, other professionals, and students, PWJC has built an effective, coordinated community response to interpersonal violence.

As the past two years have taught us, life can be full of unexpected twists and turns. While external circumstances are often beyond our control, the way we react and respond can define who we are.

On Wednesday, February 9, Pace’s Chief Wellness Officer, in collaboration with the College of Health Professions is hosting a special event to address mental health and resilience in the student population at Pace. STOP + SHIFT: The Mindset that Changes Everything will feature a keynote presentation from growth mindset coach, author, and motivational speaker Karen Allen, who will share her journey from overwhelming grief after a tragic loss to joy and resilience, due to an important shift of thinking.

“Undergraduate and graduate students across the country have been increasingly challenged pre- and intra-pandemic with stress, anxiety, and a host of mental health conditions,” said CHP’s Chief Wellness Officer and Dean Emerita Harriet Feldman. “We chose to focus on resilience as this is a critical aspect of wellness–being able to bounce back from adversity is key to moving forward in a positive direction. ‘Stop and Shift’ is a technique to get you there!”

Student Resilience: STOP + SHIFT
Wednesday, February 9
12:10 p.m.–1:10 p.m.

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After graduation Tania Abousaid, a recent graduate of the Pace Pleasantville PA program, wanted to create an invaluable resource. Something that she knew would help the next generation of students pursuing the same path as her. Together with her once preceptor now colleague Mike Sacks, they co-authored a book together titled First Line Guide: A Comprehensive Review of Didactic Medicine. The official website for the books reads, "We set out to write this book hoping to fill a void we experienced as we were going through PA school. There were two types of textbooks: the gold-standard textbooks that provided immense amounts of information but were challenging to read through, and on the other side of the spectrum, there were the many quality study guides that provided limited detail and were useful only if you already understood the content. What was missing was the book in the middle..."

"We set out to write this book hoping to fill a void we experienced as we were going through PA school."

Abousaid's passion for medicine began in the ICU, when she was a patient herself. After coming off life support Tania made the decision to change her career path and applied to PA school. While a student in the PA program, Tania was Class president and the State Society's (NYSSPA) student director. In just 6 months after graduation, she not only found her way back to the ICU as a critical care provider, but is also working part time in family medicine.

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The book her and Sacks have written features more than 640 pages with color photos and diagrams. With First Line Guide they aimed to create a book that could stay with somebody past their time at school. That it could be kept on one's desk as a reference in practice. "In realizing we couldn't find such a book, we set out to write it ourselves," they explained. "We hope this will be the book that walks that fine line and is useful to everyone."

Order a copy of First Line Guide: A Comprehensive Review of Didactic Medicine.

Pace University's Lienhard School of Nursing alumna Sarah Gruhn was hired by Greenwich Hospital before senior graduation. As a hardworking and dedicated student with a passion for science, Sarah always knew she wanted an occupation that would help others. Sarah decided to pursue nursing after being diagnosed with Lymes Disease and was sick for almost five years. The time she spent around nurses who impacted her recovery and brought her comfort solidified the fact that nursing was the career for her. Sarah was inspired by the opportunities that nurses have to engage and connect with patients while they overcome their struggles.

As a Northern Virginia native, Sarah always knew that she wanted to go somewhere different and have the chance to be on her own. Sarah was drawn to Pace through her college research due to the location, impressive NCLEX scores, and curriculum. After visiting the campus, Sarah was eager to apply once she learned about CHP's approach to nursing education as voiced by the faculty she got to meet.

As a student, Sarah enrolled in Professor Millie Hepburn's Peri-op elective course, which is an exceptional example of experiential learning. After a previous externship experience where she shadowed a peri-op nurse, Sarah was led to apply for this course. These experiences fascinated Sarah and helped her decide to focus her career in peri-op nursing.

Sarah landed a position at Greenwich Hospital to complete her senior practicum in the OR. She was then brought on as a full-time RN after passing her NCLEX; her nurse manager describes her as a superstar. Sarah recommends students to apply to this wonderful program with encouraging staff and an open teaching environment. "I've been very supported by my managers and preceptors and have learned a great deal so far in my time there. It is a place where I feel that people want me to succeed and grow in my career, and that is something that is incredibly beneficial, especially when starting out in such a challenging field," said Sarah.