Interview by Abernathy Cochran intern and Gainesville High School senior Marie Matthews
Meet Aliah Sapp! Aliah is a certified nurse practitioner at Longstreet Clinic Pediatrics. She has been married to her husband Justin for nine years and they have two sons; Jack, 2, and Levi, 1. She grew up in Phenix City, Al. and her husband grew up in Columbus, Ga.
Quetion: Please tell us about your current career. What do you love most about what you do?
Answer: “I work in pediatrics and I really love that field because I’ve always felt drawn to it. I think this field is incredible because you can see so many aspects from the infancy stage all the way to the teenage years and everything in between. I enjoy watching as children hit different milestones and also how they grow and develop. Also, I really like helping parents and teaching them how to overcome the challenges that come along with every stage.”
Q: What inspired you or led you to your current career?
A: “Initially my childhood pediatrician kind of sparked my interest, but what solidified it was when maternal grandmother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. She moved in with us when I was 12 years old and she lived with us for three years fighting with cancer. I helped care for her and I learned a lot of things about her condition. I branched out further into the medical field through clinical and rotations, and realized I really felt led to all the fields and that included pediatrics.”
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
A: “We really love this area and we’ve come to realize how supportive the community is. It’s a large town that just has a small town feel.”
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
A: “I would have to say, Avocados is one of my favorites as well as Sweet Magnolia’s Cafe and Bakery and The Collegiate on the Square.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
A: “I would have to say, a very close friend and coworker of mine, Nancy Quinn. She immediately welcomed me into the community when I first started working here as an outsider coming into this area. She has the biggest heart and is one of the kindest people I know, mainly just watching her give her time, her energy, and her positivity to those around her. I just feel very fortunate to know her and seeing her around the community. She knows everyone, and it’s just incredible to see how close she is with so many different people and that just shows a lot about her personality.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
A: “There are so many places I would love to visit specifically a European cruise but Italy’s pretty high on the list.”
Q: What advice would you give to people?
A: “I would say, ‘never let fear prevent you from doing things that seem overwhelming or are too big to accomplish because I feel like those are the things that allow you to grow and make you a better person.’”
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
A: “We moved to this area back in 2017 and I started working at Longstreet Pediatrics around March of 2018.
Q: Where do you see yourself in five to 10 years?
A: “I see myself continuing to work in pediatrics, I truly feel that is my calling but in addition to that, traveling a lot more than we were able in the last few years”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I’ve always wanted to see the Northern Lights and of course, travel!”
Q: What is something that you would rate 10 out of 10?
A: “A day on a beach vacation, waking up, drinking coffee, overlooking the ocean, spending all day on the beach with my family, taking a nap and going out to an all you can eat seafood restaurant.”
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
A: “I would say my husband inspires me to be a better version of myself. He pushes me often to do things that are a little out of my comfort zone”
Q: What is one of your favorite smells?
A: “I would say Jasmine. There are some bushes that grow outside of work that I enjoy passing by as I go in every day. I’ve actually planted the same plant at my home.”
Q: What is one of your favorite TV shows or movies?
A: “My all time favorite TV show is probably ‘The Golden Girls.’”
