Putting out fires, blazing new trails

Escrito por: Dulce Ortiz 🇬🇹

Headshot of Raquel Chaupiz. (Sanya Wason)

Whether dancing on the biggest performance stage or racing to attend the next emergency, Raquel Chaupiz shows what it means to be a powerful yet soft-spoken leader.

Desde pequeña, Chaupiz has been a well-rounded student, participando en sociedades de honor, clases de violín, y gimnasia. Her biggest inspiration, su mamá, taught her how to speak up for herself, the value of education, and ultimately became her optimistic standpoint when things got hard.

“She really has paved the path for me, and I am so grateful for that,” she said.

Chaupiz began her college education as a neuroscience major, pero después de dos años, vio que no era la carrera ideal para ella. Knowing that healthcare was still in her interests, she ultimately decided on public health under the pre-physician assistant track.

“I realized that public health has fit me the best out of everything I’ve tried here because there's a lot of intersectionality – health, policy, medicine, race, gender, minority status, socioeconomic status – taking into account a lot of different factors than just what you present on a patient chart," Chaupiz said.

She took on a Spanish minor to learn more about the language and her Peruvian roots. In the process, she joined the Pa’Lante Latin Dance Company and found a love for Latin music and dance, especially salsa and bachata. Aprender una rutina de baile y luego viajar a competencias fue una de sus experiencias favoritas en la universidad.

In spring 2024, she began the process of becoming a volunteer firefighter at the College Park Volunteer Fire Department.

Family of Raquel Chaupiz. (Courtesy of Raquel Chaupiz)- Chaupiz’s father

“A year ago, I probably would have never thought that I'd become a firefighter, and now that I'm pursuing it, I couldn't think of any other way to go about it,” Chaupiz said.

The experience pushed her out of her comfort zone, enabling her to practice key values, including discipline and willpower. 

“Being there for other people is what really matters. You're the first person that they might see, especially in a crisis. It might be the worst day of their life, and yet you can be there to help support them. I think that's a really incredible experience,” she said.

After earning her emergency medical technician (EMT) license and graduating in the spring, she plans to teach female firefighters how to train in the male-dominated field. Currently, she is deciding whether to pursue an emergency tech position at a hospital or become a community health advocate in Peru before applying to become a physician assistant.

“Author H. Jackson Brown Jr. once said, ‘the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.’ Raquel always finds a way to give back to others around her. Whether at school, her involvement in various volunteer endeavors, or spending time with family and friends. She is always focused on trying to make the lives of people around her better.” Family of Raquel Chaupiz. - Chaupiz’s father