The
Next:
Celina
Caetano
She was raised in one of the city’s diverse neighborhoods, was taught through her formative years by the Waterbury Public School system, and was inspired during her time on the UConn Waterbury campus. Meet CELINA CAETANO – a proud Waterburian with big plans to impact the world as a physician and person of faith.
“It’s wild to be called Doctor Caetano now,” she says, beaming with pride but maintaining her even tone.
A lot has happened in her recent life. In fact, so much has transpired that this is the second in-depth conversation she’s had with us in less than a year. Having graduated medical school, Celina Caetano is now a Doctor in Residency at Yale New Haven Health, and loving the experiences she is gaining in the field of internal medicine. Nearly two years prior, Celina emerged as a person to speak with because more than one of Waterbury’s leaders in the educational space – both the Superintendent and the Director of the UConn Waterbury campus – mentioned her as a next-generation leader.
The story of Celina Caetano starts in Portugal, where both of her parents immigrated from. In 1986, the couple arrived in Waterbury with no family connections but the feeling that the city could afford them great opportunities.
Celina and her brother were both born in Waterbury, she the precocious girl with the little frame and the big ideas. When she was a young child, two ideas hit her at the same time – one an initial career goal, and the other a more immediate plan.
WORX First, the career goal: “I was going to be the next American Idol,” she laughs.
Caetano Family
And the immediate plan? “[In church], my father let me use his lap to sleep in, but that all changed when I started to actually listen to the music.” Little Celina, all of six years old and 40 inches tall, decided she was somehow going to get into the choir at Our Lady of Fatima Church as a featured singer. Her parents spoke with the choir director, who responded, “Yeah, she has a great voice, that little kid voice that everyone loves to hear.” So, Celina actually got a two-line solo at one of the Sunday masses – belting out the performance while standing on a metal chair in order to reach the microphone.
Her journey through the Waterbury Public Schools started at Rotella Elementary, and ended at the Waterbury Arts Magnet School, where she was elected Class President and earned the honor of Valedictorian. After graduating high school, Celina essentially walked across the street to begin her college career on the University of Connecticut Waterbury campus.
Recalling the time at UConn Waterbury fondly, Celina says, “It was a place where if I got there at six o'clock in the morning, and left at six in the evening, every moment was filled with something. Yet, if I needed to get away, there was enough space to do that.” She notes the incredible facilities, and then looks out the window of the interview room. “It was kind of the start, and then transition into medicine, for me.”
WORX Celina back on the UConn Waterbury campus.
The Waterbury campus was also where she met a huge figure in her life – professor Dr. Susan Preston-Berlin. Preston-Berlin not only showed her interesting ways to look at biology, but also opened Celina’s mind to all the possibilities for helping others through medicine and healthcare. In addition, Celina says, “She connected me to people with UConn Health even before I got into the medical school, and who wouldn't want to stay in Connecticut to be able to continue [their education]? UConn is just a great institution through and through.”
After two years on the UConn Waterbury campus, Celina headed to the main campus in Storrs and earned dual undergraduate degrees, with Honors, in both Molecular & Cellular Biology and Physiology & Neurobiology. She did her graduate work at the UConn School of Medicine, and was selected by her peers to give the school’s commencement speech. During her time on the UConn Waterbury and Storrs campuses, Celina served as a teaching assistant and tutor for undergraduate level chemistry courses, as well as undergraduate and graduate level biochemistry and biology courses. She was also a regular lecturer on a variety of topics.
The synergy of learning and teaching is something Celina feels was sparked by Waterbury Public Schools teachers, and an appreciation for all those around you was a community-wide belief in Waterbury.
When I went through the Waterbury school system, I saw diversity. You see somebody else that's completely different from you. And here that’s okay.
WORX The celebration of diversity in Waterbury heavily informed Celina’s upbringing, and now guides her approach as a physician. “I was able to grow up in a culture surrounded by tradition. The Portuguese… we're such a family community, but we're not isolated. We have our little section at the end of Baldwin, and there's a Brazilian section that we get to integrate with, as well as the Cape Verdeans on the other side. If we were anywhere else, we wouldn't be able to share a commonality. And Waterbury embraces that. The fact that it's so embraced here allows me to go into my career as a medical provider knowing what makes someone special, but not afraid to ask if I have a knowledge gap.”
Celina is enjoying her residency, and even jokes that she doesn’t mind being perpetually sleep deprived. Her excitement seems to be derived from an ability to deeply listen to a patient and use that understanding to decipher what’s going on. “Resident Physicians are entrusted with the healthcare of any and all patients who enter the doors of the hospital or clinic. Being in Internal Medicine, the pathologies for which one cares for is quite broad – from heart failure, to infection control, diabetes management, routine primary care, and beyond. I love meeting people. I hear a family’s story and get to sometimes become a part of it.”
Lest one think that Celina is all work and no play, she actively partakes in all that Waterbury has to offer. Celina loves seeing shows at the Palace Theater, watching the Christmas tree lighting on the Waterbury Green, attending sunrise and sunset masses atop Holy Land USA, and heading to the numerous cultural festivals in the summer and fall. Very much a foodie, she regularly craves Spartan Restaurant, Monteiro’s Restaurant (“Best French toast around!”), and the International Bakery.
WORX Now and into the future, Celina lives life with an emphasis on, as she calls it, her Four F’s: “Faith is the first one, family is the next, food is the third, and futbol, which is soccer in Portuguese, is the fourth.”
For Celina, faith is what keeps her grounded and gives her hope. Food is not only nourishment, but an opportunity to share and learn from others; growing up – save for a soccer game here or band concert there – her family would have dinner together every night. Futbol is the focus of her fandom, and she roots hardest for the Portuguese club, S. L. Benfica. (She does admit to changing “soccer” to “futbol” for the sake of the four-part alliteration.)
Cooking, running with her dog, nature walks with friends, and playing music are other interests. The Hunger Games franchise and Wall-E are favorite movies. Chris Stapelton, Nininho Vaz Maia, and Rita Ora are in her playlist. Beyond Benfica, she’s a big fan of the Yankees and, of course, the UConn Huskies. She can also hold a knowledgeable conversation with anyone about vintage cars and motorcycles.
On the topic of heroes, Celina has (beyond her parents and brother) three that come to mind. President Abraham Lincoln is one – partly because they share the same birthday, but mostly because of “his push for peace and inclusivity at a time when many were contrary to the notion.” Bronze medalist fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad is another hero. “I have a deep respect for athletes, especially those who compete at the highest level. I applaud her for standing firm with her faith and being the first woman competing for the US to wear a hijab at the Olympics." A third hero is Greta Thunberg. “She had the courage at such a young age to advocate for something that has a voice but speaks a language only a few can understand – the environment. Her mission is humble, and her words are clear.”
Caetano Family/WORX
With someone so philosophical and wise beyond her years, it’s hard to stop asking Celina about influences, inspirations, or inflection points in her life. To the repeated line of questioning, Celina is kind and informative, mentioning a particularly memorable piece of advice she received a few years ago. “List the three things you love in order,” the person recommended. “Make the first your hobby, the second your career, and the third one incorporate somewhere in those other two, and you'll never work a day in your life.”
Celina has followed the guidance to a tee – making the afore-mentioned love of music an ongoing hobby. She still attends Our Lady of Fatima Church, and ironically, now serves as the director of the choir. Her second love – science – is clearly the driving force behind her ascension in the healthcare field. And her third love – helping others – is entwined with everything she does.
The medical field, and our local citizens, are lucky to have a next-generation leader like Celina – selfless, smart, and truly caring. “I really love getting to know people, getting to know their families. But I also like those times where it's the most vulnerable someone could be. If you talk to my parents, they'd say I like to be a know it all! [Laughs] But more to the point, I love asking questions… and the whole role of being a doctor is asking questions.”
She crystallizes her belief system and burgeoning career in one statement – a paraphrasing of a quote she read from Mother Teresa:
We're not built for ourselves. We're built for others.
Throughout the conversation with Celina, she is jovial and even-tempered – just as she was the first time we spoke. The only glimpse into any frustration is when Celina is asked about the perception of Waterbury by people outside the city.
Speaking a tad lower and slower, she remarks, “If you look up just general Waterbury news, you may not hear what this city is. It is a place where families grow. Is a place where the school system allows it to thrive. You get so many opportunities. Just look at who has come through Waterbury. And what does that mean? It means that you were nurtured here, you built roots here, and there are now fruits can you share with others.”
Then, before our eyes, it’s as if Doctor Celina Caetano became the six-year old again, standing on the chair in the church choir, straining to reach the microphone in front of her.
“I would say to those people who may think Waterbury is a step down… take the ladder up to see where we really are.”
WORX
