Sasha Terrazas

I attribute my success to my son. I think that I pushed hard for him, I pushed myself. I got my work ethics from my dad - he was always a very hard worker, maybe a little too hard, but I think that I get that, too. I've always wanted my son to be proud of me. I always wanted him to say, like, wow, that's my mom. He pushes me every day, and he doesn't know it, but that's my motivator. All jokes aside, I mean, like I said, I've always wanted him to be proud of me.

The best career advice I ever received was from my mom. She had told me that the minute you feel that you're insensitive to your patients, that you can't give them your heart and you're just kind of robotic, that's the time that you know you need to switch it up, because your heart isn't into it. Healthcare can be really hard and fast-paced at times, and you have to have your heart into it. Especially in hospice, it's very emotional, it can be. So, you know, the minute I didn't feel it in my heart, then I gotta hit the road and get my act together. But so far, it hasn't happened - I'm very much in love with it.

The advice I would give to young women entering my industry is always don't take it personal. It is a very rewarding career. It is very amazing and loving and hard. But there's gonna be people out there who are not the nicest, but it's because their lives are completely turned around. Imagine if your independence was taken away tomorrow - you wouldn't be the happiest person either. And it's not personal. You're there to help and give your best abilities and heart to each patient, young or old, and everyone in between. Just continue to be your best you, and you can make someone's day. It's not personal.

I would say the biggest challenge is that there is a certain stigma of hospice. People think that it's about killing your loved one, but it's really not. It's like I said, being able to educate other families and just people in general that it is about comfort and acceptance, and just surround your loved one with love and being able to just be there to help settle everything. That has been such a big challenge, because I think people still think that it's about killing each other, and it's not at all. I think it's been a challenge, but it's been a great challenge to be able to do that.

Definitely balance for both, and respect. Respect in my professional life, for myself, and the respect that I give others. I am very respectful to all positions, whether it's the highest CEO or the security guards or any position. I know there's a hierarchy there can be in healthcare, but I don't think that that's relevant. I think every position, every person, is important to every role. So it's definitely giving that respect to everyone and then, again, respecting myself, being proud of who I am and putting my best foot forward. In my personal life as well, I mean, I have to live by that.