Name: Maritza Baez
Home city/ country: Buffalo, NY USA
Current Occupation: Family Physician
Time I wake up: 5:30am
First thing I do in the morning: Brush my teeth
My typical breakfast: water, plain non-dairy yogurt with fresh organic fruit & gluten-free multigrain cereal on top
Here’s what my morning commute is like: 20 minutes. Half of it is on the highway. I like to beat the traffic
I spend most of my day doing: Listening, thinking, analyzing, teaching, helping people reach their health goals, and documenting in the medical records.
After work or school, I like to: Zumba! Or other fitness classes in the gym
A fun night for me includes: Front row VIP experience at a concert
Time I go to sleep: Between 10pm and midnight
Last thing I do at night: Brush & floss my teeth
My favorite thing to do for fun: Get a spa pedicure with organic non toxic products
My biggest fear right now: Being so overwhelmed with paperwork that I can’t do anything else
My biggest hope right now: That more people will be happy & healthy
Someday I’d like to: Visit the pyramids in Egypt
The biggest challenge I have overcome so far: Coming from poverty to become an Ivy-league graduate with a medical degree and no student loans.
The biggest challenge I hope to overcome: Realizing that it’s ok to say no sometimes.
Being a woman is wonderful because: I have the power to empower others to reach their goals
Being a woman is a challenge because: Sometimes people may not appreciate or expect my intelligence
What’s one thing people don’t understand about your culture that you’d like to clarify to the international community? I describe my culture as an American one with some Latina influences, since my parents are Puerto Rican. I am an American citizen and so are they.
What’s your favorite meal or recipe that is a specialty of your culture? Rice & chickpeas made with vegan ingredients.
If you could ask the community anything, what would it be? What more can we do to combat global warming?
I am a leader because: I believe in empowerment of women & like to learn from women around the world & contribute what I can
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