Meet Luisa Shamas

When Luisa Shamas arrived in the United States, she faced one of her biggest obstacles: not knowing the language.

In the years since, she has carved out a niche career developing and managing Spanish-speaking and bilingual support groups and resources for other mothers with post partem depression and will tell you she would not be where she is today without St. Petersburg College.

“Even if you’re older or you have to restart your life or you have a new life, you are going to be able to do it because you have SPC,” said Luisa, who began her studies at age 30. “You have choices.”

A native of Argentina, Luisa moved to St. Petersburg from Spain with her husband so he could attend medical school. Determined to work and earn a degree so she could support them, Luisa faced a daunting challenge: not knowing the language in her new country.

“I did not speak any English when I got here; my English was zero,” she said. “My biggest struggle was that I didn’t speak the language at all.”

After attending English classes at Tomlinson Adult Learning Center for eight months, she completed her GED and enrolled in classes at SPC to start her bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies and Community Leadership.

“I chose SPC because the environment was like a family and very welcoming,” she said. “All the advisors I had, they helped me through my path here. To me, being older and having responsibilities, they were very understanding. Communicating with my professors was very easy. They know who you are. You are not a number, you’re a person.”

When she was eight months pregnant, Luisa's father passed away before she could see him, an event she called a turning point in what would later become her postpartum depression.

“Having my baby was the most wonderful thing, but there was something inside me that wouldn’t let me rest,” she said. “I was afraid that something would happen to him.”

Three days after her son, who is now 10, was born, her family noticed that she was not herself and sought out the help of Postpartum Support International.

“I was so lucky because I got intervention quickly,” she said. “That’s when I discovered that this beautiful organization was doing such a tremendous job.”

Following her recovery, Luisa began volunteering with the organization, often working 24-hour shifts to provide resources and emotional support for other mothers who speak Spanish. All the while she continued working on her bachelor’s degree at SPC to better inform her work.

“I knew then that I wanted to help other mothers going through the same thing. The groups are like my babies, where I see how people support each other and feel that they are not alone in this journey. Seeing people do this peer support is one of my greatest satisfactions and a relief for all those families who suffer in silence.”

Once she graduated from SPC in 2021 summa cum laude, the organization offered her a promotion to a full-time position doing what she loves.

“Luisa is such a wonderful part of the team,” said Carrie Banks, Peer Support Programs Director and Luisa’s boss. “She brings a lot of empathy to her work and is wonderful when interacting directly with parents. I’ve also been impressed by her ability to think outside the box, creating new opportunities for our help seekers to access the support that they need.”

Among her other duties, Luisa is a certified group facilitator and coach and lead trainer for group peer support en Español. She continues to expand support and resources for Spanish speaking mothers around the world.

“The thing is because I got my degree, I became a manager and have a very successful professional life. What I do is very powerful for a lot of people. If you come to SPC and get your bachelor’s degree, you can have a wonderful job. You can do this. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.”