Maritza Nassif '17, G'18 Bridges Patient Care and Education at Dana-Farber

When Maritza Nassif ’17, G’18 arrived at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as a volunteer in 2015, she didn’t realize that the experience would shape the course of her career

A sophomore at Emmanuel at the time, she was studying counseling and health psychology with a minor in biology—interests that would later coalesce into a role uniquely suited to her talents.

Today, Nassif is the Director of the Centers for Patients and Families and Volunteer Services at Dana-Farber, overseeing more than 400 volunteers and a team of seven staff members. Her work is guided by a principle deeply embedded in both her alma mater and her professional life: caring for the whole person.

“My favorite part of the day is talking to patients, families, and volunteers. That hasn’t changed since I started as a volunteer,” she said.

A Pathway Through Emmanuel College

Raised in the Boston area, Nassif knew she wanted a college experience that felt intimate and personal. She found that at Emmanuel, a liberal arts institution nestled in the heart of Boston, steps away from some of the world’s leading hospitals and research centers.

She initially envisioned a clinical career in psychology. During her senior year, she secured an internship at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Bader Five Unit, an inpatient psychiatric ward for children. Around the same time, her supervisor at Dana-Farber encouraged her to apply for an internship there as well. Rather than choosing between the two, she did both—an ambitious decision that had her interning nearly 30 hours a week.

The experience was illuminating. At Bader Five, Nassif encountered the emotional toll of clinical work and realized she was drawn instead to program development, education, and training—areas where she could create sustainable change.

“I’m a fixer by nature,” she said. “I thrive in process improvement and program development. That experience helped me understand that I wanted to focus on work where I could make a long-term impact.”

The Emmanuel — Dana-Farber Connection

Emmanuel College has long maintained a strong relationship with Boston’s medical institutions, offering students a direct pipeline to internships and careers in health care. The College’s mission of educating the whole person aligns closely with Dana-Farber’s approach to patient-centered care.

“At Dana-Farber, we focus on meeting patients where they are and caring for the whole patient and their family, which aligns closely with Emmanuel’s mission,” she said. “Everything I do is patient-centered. We bring in volunteers to enhance the patient and family experience, and we provide resource centers to connect them with the support they need.”

The connection between Dana-Farber and Emmanuel remains strong. Nassif recently participated in an internship panel at Emmanuel, advising students on career paths in health care. The institute also works closely with the Leslie Ferrick McCafferty Career Center, each semester welcoming interns and volunteers from Emmanuel’s student body.

“Strong, meaningful relationships are the foundation of success in any partnership. At the McCafferty Career Center, we believe that understanding the unique needs of our employers and aligning them with the exceptional talents of our students creates opportunities for growth and innovation,” said Maureen Ashburn, Executive Director of the McCafferty Career Center. “Our collaboration with Dana-Farber exemplifies this commitment to fostering long-lasting, impactful connections.”

The Leslie Ferrick McCafferty Career Center offers a comprehensive suite of services to support students and Alumni in their career development. For undergraduates, the center provides personalized career advising, assistance with resume and cover letter writing, and guidance on job and internship searches. Notably, the Professional Pathways Program offers students the opportunity to intern at Boston-based organizations, exploring various professional fields while receiving stipends and, in some cases, free summer housing. Additionally, the center awards stipends to selected students participating in unpaid, off-campus internships, encouraging exploration of diverse career paths.

For Alumni, the Career Center extends lifelong support, including resume and cover letter reviews, job search assistance, interview preparation, and guidance for career changes or re-entering the workforce. Alumni can also collaborate with the center to hire current students or fellow graduates through the "Saints Hiring Saints" initiative.

Merging Psychology, Biology, and Education

After earning her bachelor’s degree in 2017, Nassif took on a full-time role as a program coordinator at Dana-Farber. At the same time, she pursued a master’s in education at Emmanuel through the college’s 4+1 program. While many of her classmates trained for traditional K-12 teaching roles, she adapted the coursework to fit her work at Dana-Farber. Her master’s project focused on how best to deliver educational materials to cancer patients, a challenge that required understanding both health literacy and the nuances of patient communication.

“I wasn’t a clinician educating them directly,” she said. “But I played a key role in ensuring they had access to the resources and information they needed.”

Her background in biology also proved invaluable, helping her navigate the scientific aspects of cancer education. “Psychology is in everything we do,” she noted. “Biology helped with the educational and research aspects. And the education piece was essential—whether I was explaining cancer-related information, training volunteers, or developing patient resources.”

Creating Resources for Patients and Families

A significant part of Nassif’s role involves creating resources that support patients and their families throughout their cancer journey. She works with her team to distribute educational materials that explain complex medical information in accessible ways, ensuring patients can make informed decisions about their care. She also leads initiatives that provide emotional support, such as peer-to-peer programs, educational workshops, and community-building events that foster connection among patients and their loved ones.

“We aim to provide patients with the tools they need to navigate treatment,” Nassif said. “Whether it’s a resource guide, a quiet space for reflection, or simply a conversation, we want them to know they are not alone.”

The Emotional Toll

While deeply fulfilling, Nassif’s work is also emotionally demanding. Supporting patients and families through some of their most challenging moments requires immense empathy and resilience. The weight of these interactions stays with her, but she finds strength in the impact she makes.

“This job requires you to hold space for people’s hardest days,” she said. “You have to balance compassion with the ability to keep going. I remind myself that, even in difficult moments, the work we do makes a difference.”

She leans on the values she cultivated at Emmanuel and a commitment to service to stay grounded. Whether training volunteers or developing new support resources, she remains motivated by the knowledge that her work helps patients and families feel seen, heard, and supported.

A Career Rooted in Service

Despite her rise through the ranks at Dana-Farber, Nassif remains deeply connected to the work that first drew her to the institute. “Titles aren’t important to me as long as I’m learning, growing, and enjoying my work,” she said. “I joke that if I could be a volunteer forever, I would, because I believe so strongly in our mission.”

That mission—centered on empathy, education, and empowerment—continues to guide her, just as it did when she first walked through Dana-Farber’s doors as a college sophomore.