Today we’d like to introduce you to Dariann Modeliste.
Hi Dariann, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a current graduating senior at California State University, East Bay majoring in Biological Sciences with a concentration in physiology originally from the best city ever Carson, California. Prior to starting college, I knew that I wanted to be a doctor. I knew that I had been called to bring the “heart” back to medicine especially in the city of Carson where the population is predominately African American.
For a long time, African Americans have been at a disadvantage medically. We have centuries of trauma that stem from malpractice, experimentation and it continues to travel through our bloodline leaving little room for reversal. The black community is plagued with several health disparities and epidemics simply because we are afraid to seek the proper medical attention. Out of fear of being mishandled, we shy away from utilizing the services available to us, resulting in the deterioration of our community. This is a narrative I have been determined to rewrite. However, I wasn’t aware that not only was I called to heal in the physical realm but also in the spiritual realm. My faith in God has always been important to me but I never thought that it would ever play a role in how I planned to care for people from a medical standpoint. For this past year, that’s what I’ve been using this time of quarantine and isolation for. Trying to understand exactly where my faith and passion for working in the medical field intersect and that’s where I am now, figuring out ways to reach my people spiritually and physically in hopes to heal the diaspora from the inside out.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I recognized how much of a rarity it was for an African American woman to embark on a journey of this caliber. Despite the odds stacked against me, I know that in order to recreate this narrative, I would have to be the change that I wanted to see. Even though I am not fully aware of what this journey from “becoming to being” will entail, I have the faith and the courage to endure. There have been plenty of times when I have let the feelings of inadequacy and incompetence discourage me from pursuing the very thing that I was called by God to do. However, it is at these times of weakness that I am reminded of my strengths. Being black, being a woman, understanding what science says, but also believing in what God says, all of these pieces don’t necessarily go together to complete the puzzle of success. Each piece has its own quark, it has its own contradiction, and everyone has their own opinions on each one of those things, so trying to navigate that as well as help others navigate through that has been difficult. I have learned through my journey that the one thing that these all have in common is a need for boldness and anchoring. I have to anchor my feet in the knowledge that I have and stand boldly on what I believe in. Some people may not rock with it, they may not like who I am and that’s okay. The people that I am able to reach are all that matters. My only job is to get the word and the knowledge out there the best way I know-how, and the rest is up to them.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a pre-med student who loves Jesus. I don’t know if I really fit into a specific category or box because I’ve never seen anyone do what I am currently doing. I have a desire to really help people heal from the inside out and I plan to do this through my future work as a doctor and currently as the host of my own podcast, “Unfiltered Woman of Faith” with Dariann Modeliste. Like I mentioned earlier as a doctor, I plan to bring the “heart” back to medicine. I feel as though medicine is lacking the level of emotional competence in comparison to the educational awareness that exists. A trained medical professional is charged with healing the body and exhibiting compassion to the patient. Therefore, it is imperative that they are cognizant of the “bedside manner” they share with the patient. Compassion and love are the electrical impulses that keep the heartbeat of medicine thriving. The patient must feel as though there is genuine compassion and concern for their well-being, therefore, resulting in a solid foundation anchored in trust and assurance. Overall providing a positive experience.
Through my podcast, I plan to address more of the internal healing that needs to be done. Growing up in church, I found that the church didn’t address the real issues that people were going through. Many of the pastors and leaders never had the hard and real conversations about the trauma that existed among the people of their congregation which in my opinion is the reason why we have so many spiritual leaders and people who claim to love God but are also severely broken. God didn’t call for us to be that way, so I’m willing to put my traumas and my dirt on the table for the sake of the healing of others. I’m not sure what more God has planned for me when it comes to my life’s work, I’m only 21, I have so much more life ahead of me than I do behind me but this is what he has given me so far.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Knowing that I made an impact of some sort makes me happy. I love when people tell me that my words or my presence has made an impact in their life and it can be the simplest of things but it makes me feel really good inside.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://anchor.fm/dariann-modeliste3
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dariann.raynell/
