From sitting in waiting rooms, nervously praying for the best, to learning the results of a medical test, the hospital is a place filled with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty for what the future holds. Especially for children navigating healthcare struggles, it is essential that they receive the support and care to have hope for healing. It’s fitting that Charity Vasquez’s, PhD, CCLS, name means love. As a child life specialist, she knows how to lovingly engage with children and their families as they walk through difficult seasons. As chair of the department of Child Life at Azusa Pacific University, Vasquez equips students to love others in their time of need.
From Myanmar (formerly Burma) and a member of the Karen ethnic group, Vasquez and her family immigrated to Southern California when she was 12-years-old. “My parents sacrificed a lot for my siblings and I to be in the U.S. so we could have a better future and opportunities for education,” she said. Learning English and adjusting to a new culture was challenging for Vasquez. She overcame the barriers she faced, and her parents’ goal to see their children thrive came to fruition.
Growing up, Vasquez wanted to be a pediatrician. In high school she volunteered at a hospital and realized she was drawn to the interpersonal relationships between patients and healthcare workers. At the same time, Vasquez’s mother was pursuing a master’s degree, and one of her professors was a child life specialist. Vasquez met with her and discovered her calling. “A lot of people discouraged me from entering the child life discipline because it’s not very well known,” she said. “My mom told me not to let other people’s opinions get in the way of what God has planned for me.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree in child life, Vasquez worked at a children’s hospital for many years. She received a master’s degree and became the childlife director at UC Irvine Medical Center. “Child life exists to help children and their families navigate difficult healthcare experiences,” Vasquez said. “Specialists in the field are there to help kids cope with stress and prepare for medical procedures by incorporating play and talking to them in a developmentally appropriate way.” During her time working in hospitals, Vasquez loved working with different hospital teams to care for the childrens’ whole self.
While reflecting on her journey to APU, Vasquez attributes all the unexpected twists
and turns to God’s divine plan for her life. “You have to trust God’s process because
often you don’t know the path you’re meant to be on until you’re there,” she said.
Vasquez felt called to APU when a few of her family and friends mentioned a job opening
they’d heard of. She was not looking for a career change, but Vasquez was intrigued
when learning the university was searching for a program director to start a master’s
in child life program. To her surprise, the position at APU also entailed taking students
to South Africa for a global engagement trip, a dream that had been written on Vasquez’s
heart for a long time.
Vasquez has taught at APU since 2017. “I love teaching APU students because I get to be a part of advancing God’s work to instill academic excellence,” she said. “I get to be a tool for students to further their purpose in the world.” Along with sharing the necessary knowledge to perform well as child life specialists, Vasquez hopes to empower students to make a positive difference in the lives they encounter.
Looking back on her journey, Vasquez is grateful for the ways God has been there, even when she didn’t realize it. “I grew up in a Christian household, and sometimes being around ministry so much can make it feel like a rhythm that’s always in the background,” she said. “But when I think back to all the times I didn’t know where I was going, I see exactly how God was orchestrating my life, and I’m grateful for all the opportunities He’s given me.”