DGH Excellence Fellowship and GSEE Supplemental Award 

Master of Public Health in Global Health 

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. 

I am in my first year of the Master of Public Health in Global Health program. I'm from the Tri Cities, and was born in Mexico. During my undergraduate journey, I was able to work with Erica Chavez Santos, Barbara Baquero, and Maria Blancas on research projects. I learned a lot about public health during these projects, and wanted to learn more about public health so I could obtain skills to better support our BIPOC communities.

Why did you decide to attend the UW for graduate school?

I decided to come to the UW to continue my education as a MPH student because I had an awesome experience as an undergraduate student, and felt supported and welcomed in my undergraduate journey. It is hard being the first in my family to come to the UW, living in a city that is not my hometown, and being alone, but here at the UW, I feel very welcome and know that I have found my community and sense of belonging. I already had a support system that had been showing me that I am in the right place.

What are your research interests and career goals?

My research interests include supporting BIPOC communities, specifically focusing on agricultural health and how languages, legal status, language barriers, and social determinants of health affect these communities and their access to health care services. My goal is to be able to do community-based research to study inequity and disparities among communities regarding the health care system. My end goal is to become a doctor, specifically a trauma surgeon.

Did your award influence your decision to attend the UW?

I am very grateful to the UW for providing me with this reward. My family does not have much money, and being able to pay for school is hard. Financial barriers were a very present concern in my life before this school year. Even though I thought I wouldn't continue my education due to the lack of financial aid, a part of me wanted to continue pursuing my dream, and that is why I only applied to the UW. The UW has been my dream school for a long time, and by providing me with opportunities to pay for my education, I am able to continue my dream of pursuing higher education. This will help me reach my end goal of becoming a doctor and helping my BIPOC community with a foundation in public health and global health.

When you aren't studying, where is your favorite place to hangout in Seattle?

When I am not studying, I normally hang out at the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health (HRC). This is my favorite place at the UW because it feels like my second home, and many of my close friends and support circle are located in this building. Additionally, when I worked as a research assistant I spent a lot of time at HRC. Besides work, a place that I love in Seattle is Leon Coffee House, which is a really nice coffee shop.