Sofa Batyrshina

My name is Sofa and I use she/they pronouns. I was born and raised in Almaty, Kazakhstan until I moved to the US to attend high school and college. I lived in Virginia, and then New York until I moved to Vermont for higher education. I am really hoping to visit the West and experience the beautiful nature there soon. 

My path in healthcare began with bedside care and assisting elderly folks and/or people with disabilities. Making connections with real people is extremely fulfilling, and finding many creative ways, often due to lack of clinical care, to adapt for everyday life with natural challenges as people moved through their lifetimes paid off in immense learning and human gratitude. I shifted my focus towards physical, mental/learning disabilities in youth when I first attended the Youth Leadership Forum hosted by Easterseals of Massachusetts, which was centered around resources for young people with disabilities. During the forum I got an amazing experience of being a personal care assistant to somebody who became my best friend, and I saw direct results of ADA advocacy and importance of simply being aware of what accommodations can look like. I joined Middlebury’s Health Services in April 2024 as a medical assistant and have been thriving while working with students and learning from amazing providers I get to work with. 

My top priority is to spread joy in healthcare. I hope to make every person that comes through the Health Center doors feels seen, cared for, and respected. I hope to extend my kindness to each patient, and some extra for them to share around! 

Some things that currently bring me joy include chaos gardening, spending time with my family, cooking home meals, and snuggling my sweet senior kitty.