Lorena Micaela Pesantez Rodriguez joined the Sanar Institute as a Resiliency Fellow in September 2025. Micaela is Ecuadorian and moved permanently to the United States two years ago.
She has a background in medicine, where she provided care to underserved communities, especially during her rural year living in the Ecuadorian jungle. This experience fostered in her a desire to continue her education in a different setting, with the purpose of connecting with and supporting people in a more intimate way.
She is currently in her second and final year of the full-time Social Work program at Montclair State University. Micaela believes that every person has the right and autonomy to work on themselves in the way that feels most appropriate. Her goal is to foster spaces where individuals can find their own path to healing while being accompanied and supported.
In her free time, Micaela enjoys spending time with her big, extended family, slow weekends in nature with her husband, and listening to Latin music that brings her joy.