Saisha Cintron, RN

PhD student, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing

By Colleen Locke

Saisha Cintron’s dissertation is focused on the positive experiences that help emerging adults overcome adverse childhood experiences such as physical, psychological and sexual abuse; addiction; abandonment; and economic hardship. The PhD student knows firsthand the importance of a support system. With the help of her family, she overcame neighborhood poverty, violence and abuse.

“That’s why I wanted to focus on this research,” Cintron said. “It’s all qualitative research, and I think it’s going to be really empowering for the participants.”

A former youth pastor, Cintron mentors students in the community of Worcester, congregates at Jubilee Worcester, works as a float nurse at UMass Memorial HealthAllianceClinton Hospital in Leominster and UMass Memorial Medical Center, and is on the clinical faculty at Worcester State University.

“I’m a big believer that you need to give voice to the voiceless. But it’s not your voice being implemented on them. It’s their voice, and you’re just guiding them so their voice can be louder. And I think that’s where my research is headed right now,” Cintron said.