Cze-Ja Tam
Cze-Ja grew up in Los Angeles, though she is familiar with both coasts. She attended college in Pittsburgh (where she became a loyal fan of the Steelers) and graduate school in New York. While in nursing school, she started her new company, Average Socialite, with her co-editor, Sharm Sil. In 2016, she graduated to become a pediatric nurse practitioner and moved back to LA for work and to be closer to family. She has been happily working in a private practice in Southern California while continuing to run Average Socialite and beginning her newest venture, The Hearts for Heroes.
Interview: Cze-Ja Tam, Founder & Managing Editor at Average Socialite + Founder of The Hearts for Heroes initiative.
By Angela Tai
What inspired you to become a nurse practitioner?
Growing up, I have always loved working with children, and I find it so rewarding to see them well and happy. As I grew older and began to look at career paths and school, I knew that I wanted to make a difference in kids' lives. They are so innocent and pure, that I knew it was my calling to make sure they had an advocate. What solidified this decision was a missions trip to Kenya that I was able to help with in High School. There, I learned that something as small as a smile changed a child's life. Despite living in poverty, the orphans I worked with had so much to give and so much love and compassion. I am appreciative of the opportunity I have to help provide guidance and comfort in a child's development, especially when they are not feeling well.
Tell me about The Hearts for Heroes?
I launched this initiative in hopes to promote hope and love during the Covid19 pandemic. The goal is to fill the world with hearts of gratitude. To The Hearts for Heroes, the mental health of our first responders is just as important as their physical health. While they face anxiety-provoking situations, challenging decisions, and stressful demands, we want our heroes to know they have their communities lifting them up, cheering them on, and appreciating their sacrifices! The Hearts for Heroes wants to bring a smile to every hero’s face. One can fold a heart, mold a heart, construct a heart however you'd like. These can be distributed locally or shared via social media with @theheartsforheroes and #hearts4heroes. While currently focusing on our first responders, healthcare professionals, and essential workers, The Hearts for Heroes wants to share these hearts and positive, encouraging messages with all heroes. Whoever you consider a hero, they deserve a heart!
What’s a typical work day like for you since the outbreak of the Coronavirus?
I work in a pediatric outpatient setting, so it is less chaotic than the hospitals. Due to COVID-19 being new and unknown to the world, we have become more cautious when seeing patients. We mostly have telehealth appointments, but also make sure the babies and toddlers are seen for their physicals so we can monitor their development and keep them up to date on vaccinations. We are constantly monitoring the situation and providing guidance where we can.
What can we do to help you and your colleagues during these tough times?
The main way to help is to help donate to various organizations that help supply food and PPE towards hospitals. Of course, you can make hearts for The Hearts for Heroes, too!
How do you maintain your mental well-being under stress?
Having a good community of friends and loved ones to confide with is very important during this time. It is important to talk about whatever we may be experiencing with someone so we are not burdened and overwhelmed with our own thoughts. Most importantly, all healthcare workers need to know that they are not alone and that we are all in this together.
You love traveling. How many countries have you visited?
I believe my count is at 33.
Top 3 favorite cities and/or places you've visited?
Bali, Japan, Azores.
How do you balance your busy work schedule with traveling?
I only travel abroad once a year and domestically around holidays. I don't get much time off, so I utilize weekends around the holidays for most of the small, domestic trips, and save the longer trips and vacation days for going abroad.
What are some organizations you want people to donate to, in addition to The Hearts of Heroes, of course?
First off, I highly encourage those who are healthy to donate blood during this time. It only takes 5-10 minutes and is seamless. I donated through UCLA and would highly recommend them. Secondly, I would encourage the public to donate to any organization aimed to helping frontline workers with PPE and meals in their respective city. A list of options can we seen on Average Socialite under How to help the frontline: https://www.averagesocialite.com/average-socialite/2020/4/7/tip-how-to-help-the-frontline-workers.