Macy Rupprecht, GIVEN ’19

“The GIVEN Institute has been a new and unique community that I have been blessed to be part of. The friendships and mentorships that I have gained from the GIVEN Forum have been a tremendous blessing that I know will continue to be part of my life in the coming years.” – Macy Rupprecht

Please share a little about yourself – feel free to include a fun fact!

Hello! I am Macy Rupprecht, and I currently live in Virginia. I am a true introvert, however, my closest friends and family tend to draw me out of my shell. I enjoy being outdoors and exploring new adventures, but I equally enjoy curling up with a hot cup of tea and reading a good book. I love people and my true passion lies in serving others. I have tried to follow the Lord’s calling for my life to the best of my ability – this has often led me out of my comfort zone, but it has been a great joy and privilege to serve God our Father who loves us unconditionally.

Describe your professional work. How were you led to this? What are you passionate about?

I am a new board-certified family physician and started working at Eastern Shore Rural Health System in September 2019. The community that I serve is a diverse group of people from different socioeconomic backgrounds and includes a large underserved population, with migrant farm workers and immigrants from Haiti and Latin America. Each day is a new challenge to share the love of Christ through the work that I do as a family physician. I chose this specific clinic because of the diverse population and the opportunity to work with patients of different cultures. I am hoping to one day enter the international mission field as a missionary doctor, and this current position allows me to begin that work here in the United States.

“I am hoping to one day enter the international mission field as a missionary doctor, and this current position allows me to begin that work here in the United States.”

What are the personal strengths that you’ve been given and how do you utilize them?

I have been blessed with so many gifts for which I am grateful, but it often takes others around me to remind me of these gifts. My missionary spirit and desire to serve the poorest of the poor has led me to all parts of the world and different parts of the country as a medical student and doctor. I am a very passionate and driven individual, which has kept me pushing forward through the challenges of life. According to the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment, one of my top strengths is restoration. I have seen this in my own life as I have continually sought to obtain deeper healing and restoration in my own self, but I also desire to assist others in restoring their brokenness, both physically and spiritually.

“My missionary spirit and desire to serve the poorest of the poor has led me to all parts of the world and different parts of the country as a medical student and doctor.”

What women inspire you, and why?

Mama T (St. Teresa of Calcutta) has been a pillar and inspiration to me since I was a little girl. I was truly inspired by the work that she did, and I can remember feeling a deep sadness when she died. From the time I was in elementary school, I was constantly searching for ways to help those around me, especially the poor and needy. Mother Teresa’s practical wisdom regarding unconditional love continually helps me to love my patients in new and profound ways each day.

“Mother Teresa’s practical wisdom regarding unconditional love continually helps me to love my patients in new and profound ways each day.”

Another important woman in my life is my great Aunt Vada, who was like a grandmother to me. My aunt poured her heart and soul into serving our community through organizing a Christmas Dinner for the poor and lonely. I saw this project grow into an integral part of our community. My aunt later expanded it to a weekly meal called Bowls of Love. She has been a tangible example of Christ’s love for the poor throughout my life, and she helped instill in me a deep passion and love for the poor and needy.

Are there friends and mentors that you depend upon? How do they support you?

We are meant for community, and I have truly been blessed with countless friends, mentors, and family members throughout the world who have helped shape me and mold me into the woman God created me to be. I would not be where I am today without my family’s prayers and constant source of encouragement, especially when I lost my own hope and faith in my dreams. My friends have challenged me to grow deeper in my faith and to learn to laugh at myself. I have had so many mentors who have led by example, helping me to become the best version of myself in the way Christ demands.

“I would not be where I am today without my family’s prayers and constant source of encouragement, especially when I lost my own hope and faith in my dreams. My friends have challenged me to grow deeper in my faith and learn to laugh at myself.”

About a year and a half ago, I was going through a very difficult time in my life as the Lord was calling me to a deeper healing and trust in Him. I wanted to leave residency and nearly did, however, I had a tremendous community around me who supported me and reminded me of the Lord’s call in my life. It was because of these people and a deep longing to do the Lord’s will that I stayed.

The GIVEN Institute has been a new and unique community that I have been blessed to be part of. The friendships and mentorships that I have gained from the GIVEN Forum have been a tremendous blessing that I know will continue to be part of my life in the coming years.

What is the best advice/encouragement you’ve received about vocational discernment?

Having a consistent prayer life is paramount. Praying and conversing with the Lord is how we come to know Him and his desires – just like any other relationship. I have found that when I am consistently entering into this relationship with God, it becomes easier to discern and identify the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

“Having a consistent prayer life is paramount. Praying and conversing with the Lord is how we come to know Him and his desires – just like any other relationship.”

The Lord desires us to be happy and fulfilled. Every stage of our life is filled with new challenges and adventures, but with each new challenge and adventure the Lord desires to bless us with something or teach us something. Having this mindset allows each new trial to be an opportunity to allow the Lord to show his everlasting love for us!

What were your key takeaways from the 2019 GIVEN Forum?

Each of us, as women, are first and foremost God’s beloved daughter. I have always known this on an intellectual level, but it has been something that I have struggled with for most of my life, despite having a truly loving and present biological father. However, during our evening of Adoration at the St. John Paul II National Shrine, the Lord revealed His love for me as a daughter in a profoundly beautiful way that brought a deep healing to my heart. The GIVEN Forum allowed me to enter into adoration with a new openness of heart that allowed the Lord to touch me very personally. As a result, I have been able to live out this reality as a daughter of God in a new and authentic way.

“The Lord revealed His love for me as a daughter in a profoundly beautiful way that brought a deep healing to my heart.”

What is your GIVEN action plan? Describe its mission, audience, and impact.

My GIVEN action plan is to work toward implementing a Trauma Informed Care practice model into the organization where I am currently employed. Trauma Informed Care (TIC) is a relatively new model of care within medicine that helps to recognize the effects of childhood trauma and toxic stress on the health of an individual, into adulthood. Currently, I am working on helping to give brief introductory presentations to all the providers within the organization about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the effects that toxic stress has on the body and long-term health.

“My GIVEN action plan is to work toward implementing a Trauma Informed Care practice model into the organization where I am currently employed.”

My goal is to propose and hopefully implement a more formalized training protocol for everyone within my organization which will help us work towards becoming a “trauma informed organization.” This will allow us to improve our collaboration with other community organizations to help patients seek deeper healing from trauma that may be impacting their overall health and wellbeing.