Stephanie Allen-Gobert

I attribute my success to my family legacy and the powerful women who came before me. My grandmother, who was one of the first African American women to graduate from nursing school as an LVN in Texas, set the standard for our family. My aunt was one of the first African American women to open her own psychology practice in Texas with her PhD. Growing up, my grandma always told me that a book can take you wherever you want to go, and she instilled in me that love for reading and learning. Losing my mom when I was just months old and being raised by my grandmother gave me that compassion for helping others. I made a promise to my grandma before she passed that I would finish what I started and become a doctor, and in May, I was able to tell her, 'Mama, this is for you, it's done.' My faith has been central to everything I do. God says He has no respect of a man, so if He can do it for me, He can do it for you. Even though I had my daughter at 19 and had to give up my full scholarships to Spelman and other colleges, God worked it out. The journey wasn't as quick as I thought, but it was a blessing. My husband and I have been together since high school, and my family pushed me when I wanted to get discouraged. It was hard balancing my husband, two children, work, bills, and life, but I stayed goal-driven and focused. I also believe in never giving up and never giving in. I've always had that spirit of giving back and helping, and I believe in treating everybody like I want to be treated. When I walk into an office, I'm going to bring my best every day and hopefully brighten up someone's day. My success also comes from continuous learning. Back then, we didn't have online programs like I was able to complete my degrees with, so it's so much easier now. I've written several books and journals on Amazon because writing was my outlet growing up. I'm passionate about bringing compassion back to healthcare and educating people, because people perish for lack of knowledge. I'm always volunteering in the community, doing free health screenings, and trying to be that outlet for people who need guidance. Being nominated for the top 50 African American healthcare entrepreneurs in Houston was a beautiful honor, and it helps me be the face of something so that other minorities and women can see what's possible.

The best career advice I've received came from my grandmother, who always told me that a book can take you wherever you want to go. She instilled in me that love for reading and learning, and that mindset has carried me through my entire career. She also taught me to finish what I started, and I made a promise to her before she passed that I would become a doctor. That advice about continuous learning and never giving up has been the foundation of my success. Even when I had my daughter at 19, I didn't let my circumstances determine my future. The journey wasn't as quick as I thought, but I kept learning, got my master's in education, and finally received my doctorate in health science this past May. That advice to never stop learning and to finish what you start has opened doors I never thought possible. Your career is your choose, there is so many options. And I know it's a cliche' we hear from millionaires, billionaires, movie stars and all the ones we "think" have made it. But one of my other advice would be it's not always how and where you started, but how you finish. I heard a saying a while ago and it stated "When you're why becomes bigger than how, You will find a way to get it down." Another great advice I heard and that keeps motivates me is, "If your dreams don't scare you...they not bigger enough!"I'm still a dreamer! I got dreams that have turned into visions.And I truly not where I want to be or accomplished all I have or want to yet...But to God be the glory...I'm not where I use to be.. I get tired, depressed, even stressed just as others but I always return to this quote by one of my favorite authors, Maya Angelou ""Dreams do not have expiration dates. Keep showing up, keep believing, and keep becoming." You got this!

Just do it. I mean, people look at me and say, you had your daughter at 19? Yeah, I had several academic full scholarships college, and I was about to be one of the only ones in my family, besides my aunt and a couple of others to go to college and get out of the "hood." That was my big goal, and I had written it in my journal. But then I got pregnant, and God saw something different for me. My husband and I have been together since high school, and we made it work. I had to go to college while raising a baby, and the journey wasn't as quick as I thought, but God worked it out. It really was a blessing. I mean, I did it. It didn't go the rate I wanted, but maybe God knew that if I got down to Atlanta and out of my little city, I might have gone a different direction. My daughter is thirty two now, a true friend and blessing. Plus she blessed me with the most amazing four year old grandson a GG like me could ask for! I also have a 26 year old son who are the basis of the name JAKI. You just have to have that faith. God says He has no respect of a man, so if He can do it for me, He can do it for you. If this is what's on your heart and you have that passion, know that He's going to open up those doors, and it will be a blessing. You'll have a testimony to tell people about your life. Now, young women have options, especially with online programs. Back then, I didn't have the option of online programs like the ones I was able to use complete my degrees with. It was so much easier than having to go to the classroom and work around getting on campus. Just have that faith and give in, but never give up! Know that options (some good and some bad), stress, tears, set-backs, financial hardships, life will definitely staying lifing , and obstacles are going to come, and you're bigger and stronger than any obstacle. Just do it! And keep on p-u-s-h) (Pray Until Something Happens)!

I think the biggest challenge in healthcare right now is bringing compassion back. I always walk in the room, and patients or doctors say, Stephanie, do you ever have a bad day? They don't know what happened with my husband or that my grand baby been climbing on my back and my back is hurting but I will not stop playing flag football with him until he gets tired, none of that is my patient's fault and I leave it home. I believe in treating everybody like I want to be treated, so when I walk into that office, I'm going to bring my best every day and hopefully brighten up someone's day. When COVID came, it was just stressful. We never had a day off, and as an ultrasound tech doing nursing stuff part-time too, it was a stressful time for the whole world. A lot of healthcare professionals got burnt out, and I understand that burnout because I was there in the trenches with them. But now we need to start bringing that compassion back to healthcare so people feel comfortable going to the doctor. You're not just a number sometimes, especially in my community as African Americans. People say, oh no, I don't want to go to the doctor, but I tell them, go to the doctor and see what they're saying. If you don't like that one, you have options now. You have a lot of doctors and healthcare professionals that still care, and you just have to find that one. I try to be that outlet to recommend doctors I've worked with who have good bedside manner and patient care. The biggest opportunity is education. People perish for lack of knowledge, so I'm passionate about educating people. I'll be at a restaurant and hear women talking about hysterectomies, and I have to say something because I'm so compassionate about it. I explain that the uterus is just a womb that holds a baby, and if you don't want more children, you don't have to have that much pain or abnormal bleeding etc. You can keep your ovaries so you won't go into early menopause. Some people don't know that, and I believe education starts with that. Another big opportunity is creating access to healthcare careers for under-served communities. Here in Houston, as big as it is, they don't really offer evening programs for night programs for inner-city kids who need to work during the day. I want to open a school where I can teach ultrasound, medical assistant, CNA, phlebotomy, and other healthcare careers so they can have options to better their lives and get themselves out of the hood or jobs/careers that just might not like. I'm also seeing more women representation in leadership roles in healthcare, especially with social media. We're seeing a lot more publicity, and nurses are out there posting about their work. I think it's definitely getting better, especially when they're doing it in a positive aspect and representing the field well. It's one thing to talk about it on social media, but it's another thing to actually walk the walk. I'm always volunteering, bringing my ultrasound machine to health screenings, doing free thyroid and kidney ultrasounds. That type of representation, where you're actually out there doing what you need to do, goes a long way. This is a great opportunity and a chance to make a different. "Success is to be measured not so much by the position one has reached in life as the obstacles which one has overcome;" Booker T. Washington

Family, faith, and compassion are the most important values in my work and personal life.My husband, two adult children and my grandson will always be a priority. I have so many cousins who are like sisters, along side by biological sisters and brother-they continue to be another driving force in my life. I come from a legacy of pioneering African American women in healthcare. My grandmother was one of the first African American women to graduate from nursing school as an LVN in Texas, and she set the standard for our family. My aunt was one of the first African American women to open her own psychology practice in Texas with her PhD. I lost my real mom when I was just thirteen months old, and my grandmother raised me, so I always had that compassion for helping and patient care. Those values they implanted in me and my DNA continue to be an important value in my life. My faith is central to everything I do. God says He has no respect of a man, so if He can do it for me, He can do it for you. I made a promise to my grandma before she passed that I would finish what I started and become a doctor, and in May, I was able to tell her, 'Mama, this is for you, it's done.' My husband and I have been together since high school, and my family pushed me when I wanted to get discouraged. It was hard balancing my husband, two children, work, bills, and life, but they kept me going. Compassion and empathy are values I hold deeply. I believe in treating everybody like I want to be treated. When I walk into that office, I'm going to bring my best every day and hopefully brighten up someone's day, even if I've had a bad day myself. That's not my patient's fault. I think compassion is really gone from healthcare, especially after COVID when so many professionals got burnt out. I'm passionate about bringing that compassion back so people feel comfortable going to the doctor and know they're not just a number. Community and giving back are also core values. I'm always volunteering, doing free health screenings, educating people about their health. People perish for lack of knowledge, so I try to be that outlet for people who need guidance. I'm so compassionate about helping that even when I'm at a restaurant with my husband, I'll hear someone talking about a health issue and I have to say something. My husband will say, 'Baby, mind your business,' but I can't help it. I want to help people understand their options and make informed decisions about their health. Education is another value that's important to me. My grandma always told me that a book can take you wherever you want to go, and she instilled in me that love for reading and learning. I've written several books and journals on Amazon because writing was my outlet growing up. Now I want to open a school to teach healthcare careers to inner-city kids so they can have options to better their lives, just like I did when I had my daughter at 19.