Working Towards my Dream Career
In 2018, I fell in love with scientific research when I joined the BUILDing Scholars Research Program at my college. From that point forward, I applied to and completed as many research experiences as I could to learn about the fields of environmental health, environmental science, public health, and many other topics. Along with my research activities, I always make sure to give back to the community and promote health equity. Read about some of my research and community work below.
El Paso Museum of Archaeology Castner Range Exhibit
As an undergraduate researcher at The University of Texas at El Paso, I created a unique plant species checklist for a historical piece of land known as Castner Range. This region has received much attention in recent years and has been designated a National Monument. Since my published species list was used to justify preservation and conservation of the land, it is featured in the new Castner Range exhibit at The El Paso Museum of Archaeology. The museum will be up until November 2024.
This is Public Health 2023-24 Ambassador Program
From 2023-2024, I served as a This is Public Health Ambassador for The Association of Schools and Programs in Public Health. I was nominated for this position by individuals in my college and participated in graduate school recruitment events, hosted a social media takeover for the TIPH instagram account, and promoted the field of public health to undergraduate students across the country.
Habitat for Humanity Service Project 2024
During the Spring of 2024, I participated in the Habitat for Humanity Service Project at my college. We worked together to build a children’s playhouse for a local family in Columbus. The Multicultural Public Health Student Association, for which I was vice president, won the Service Champion Award for having the most participating members.
Habitat for Humanity Service Project 2023
In the Spring of 2023, I participated in a community service project with Habitat for Humanity to build a playhouse so that a local family would have a safe place to play for their children. As vice president of the multicultural public health student association at my college, we had our members participate in the project and improve the public health scene of the Columbus community.
Posters on the Hill 2022
I was selected to present my research at Posters on the Hill 2022. This is a very competitive event and only 60 researchers across the country are selected to participate. During the event, I presented my work to members of the US Congress and advocated for funding towards undergraduate research,
BUILDing Scholars Graduate
I graduated from the BUILDing Scholars Research Program at The University of Texas at El Paso in 2022. During the four years that I was in this program, I participated in various research experiences and gained important skills that made me a competitive candidate for graduate school.
Project HAPPIEST 2021
During the summer of 2021 while I was interning at The University of Utah, I participated in Project HAPPIEST (Health, Air Pollution and Population Initiative in Education and Science Training). Throughout the summer, I was mentored by graduate students, attended training seminars, and visited research sites across campus.
Summer 2019 Research Experience
During the summer of 2019, I conducted independent research at The University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston, TX. My project was centered around increasing HPV vaccination rates among the Hispanic community through a user centered and evidence based website.