UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program

?? Latino Caucus for Public Health Policy & Advocacy Committee Webinar Our committee invites you to join us on November 19, 2024, at 5:00 PM EST for a 60-minute educational webinar on the APHA Policy Process. This session is perfect for anyone looking to get involved in crafting or supporting policy proposals led by the Latino Caucus for Public Health. ?? Register now: https://lnkd.in/euH4q4gC

With fall fully in swing, I am excited to finally share my experience as a CDC John R. Lewis Scholar at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. This program opened up a world of opportunities for me and my peers, allowing us to deepen our public health knowledge through coursework, research, and professional development this past summer.? During this time, I had the honor of collaborating with Melanie Beltrán and Jalynn Wade on our health equity poster, “The Tale of Two Cities: Depression Among Young Racial & Ethnic Minorities Experiencing Homelessness in NYC & LA.” This cross-coastal study broadened my understanding of the housing crisis, revealing its profound impact on youth in both New York City and Los Angeles. Presenting our research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta sparked important conversations about mental health in communities of color, as our team addressed the social challenges in the cities that we call home. Emphasizing the need for solutions through education, expanding counseling services, and policy reform. In addition to this research, I embarked on my first professional journey in public health as an intern with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, working alongside the Healthy Schools Project team. Under the guidance of my mentor, Belen Barragan, I furthered my understanding of the intersectionality between the public health and education sectors and gained an incredible role model. Taking part in the pre-planning for the 2024 Parent Ambassador Leaders (PALs) program was one of my favorite initiatives during my time at county. Working with the team was truly an opportunity of a lifetime, and has set the foundation for the future of my career in this space. A heartfelt thank you goes to Belen Barragan, Cassandra (Fink) Biederman, Alexis Gabrielle Marron, MPH, and Sean Bell, MPH. This summer would not have been possible without the unwavering support from the UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program team. Thank you to Nohely Hernandez Pineda & Dillon Trujillo, MPH for always encouraging us to challenge ourselves on an intellectual and personal level through leading community-building initiatives and discussions for our cohort. Thank you to Olivia Golston for supporting the team across state lines, as well as in person at the CDC. Finally, thank you to Dr. Michael Prelip, Dr. Andrea Salcedo, and Cameron Brandt Flores for facilitating a life-changing program and allowing me this chance to create a new path as a public health professional. And of course, to my resilient cohort, your efforts and commitment to public health will continue to inspire my journey. I am beyond grateful that I was able to learn and grow with you all this summer.? The future of public health is now, and applications to become a 2025 CDC Lewis Scholar are live! If this opportunity interests you, especially my fellow CUNY - The City University of New York students, feel free to reach out.

JOB ALERT!!! La Clínica de La Raza is hiring for the Planner position in the Planning Department. The role entails a variety of duties including grants management and grant writing, and is open to candidates with a Master of Public Health (MPH) or a Masters in a related field. The full description and more information can be found on the website here: https://lnkd.in/guHp_54i Interested applicants should also send their resume to Anita Addison (Chief of Planning & Strategic Advancement) and Vasundhara Mehta, MPH (Senior Planner) at [email protected] and [email protected]. I'm also happy to help answer any questions related to the role itself. :)

It is such a privilege to be acknowledged by the Health Sciences Department at CSUN in this month's Bridge Newsletter. I am extremely thankful for the recognition.

This summer I had the opportunity to be part of the 2.8% of applicants selected for the UCLA Public Health Scholar Internship Program. During the rigorous 8 weeks, I had the privilege to participate in thought-provoking lectures, conduct a literature review, listen to expert panelists from the different disciplines of public health, and present my group's research at the CDC Lewis Scholar and Ferguson Fellowship Showcase. I had the great opportunity to work under Ria Tirre at Peace Over Violence as a Community Outreach and Engagement Assistant. While in this role, I reached out to different community organizations to fulfill grant requirements. I worked hand-in-hand with the prevention team and was entrusted to created a curriculum for the upcoming Violence Prevention Specialist training. Ria also taught me how to conduct screenings for incoming volunteers. In addition, I learned to send out presentation requests from different private and governmental entities. I am extremely grateful to Ria for giving me a space to learn. I had the privilege of working with three exceptional scholars, Aishling Murphy-Gonzalez, Rosy Yang, and Hannah Aguinaga. We had the common interests of infectious diseases and minority health; which helped us land on the topic of "Barriers to Accessing and Completing Tuberculosis Treatment Among Foreign-Born People in California". We conducted our research over the span of five weeks and presented during the sixth week. We became experts in our research topic, which gave us total confidence while presenting. Thank you to these wonderful Scholars to their dedication to our research. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the entire UCLA Public Health Scholars Team. Thank you for providing the 2024 cohort with all the necessary tools to step into the public health field. Your effort did not go unnoticed. I am eternally grateful for all you have done.

As summer officially wraps up, I’d love to reflect on my incredible journey as a CDC John R. Lewis Scholar and share that I’ve successfully completed the UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program! This summer, I had the privilege of expanding my understanding of public health, guided by amazing mentors at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Through the program, I gained invaluable insights into areas such as resume building, infectious diseases, community engagement, and emergency preparedness, thanks to the esteemed faculty and professors from the School of Public Health. One of the highlights was collaborating with my talented peers—Leonel Espinoza, Hemen Mekonnen, and Valeria Vallejo Montoya—to develop a research poster titled “The Relationship Between Redlining, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Alcohol Use Among Racial and Ethnic Groups.” We were honored to present our findings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, alongside other CDC Lewis Scholars. Our research underscored the critical need to spotlight how systemic issues like redlining have led to higher alcohol concentrations in BIPOC communities and redlined neighborhoods. I also had the privilege of interning at Being Alive/People With AIDS Action Coalition, Inc., a non-profit dedicated to ending HIV transmission in the Hollywood and West Hollywood areas of Los Angeles County. While there, I evaluated the needs of Spanish-speaking clients and presented key findings to the Deputy Director for future grant opportunities. I also contributed to harm reduction efforts by creating materials for clients, including clean pipes, first aid kits, and cleaning supplies. I’ve made lifelong connections through this program, and I highly recommend it to anyone passionate about public health and eager to immerse themselves in the field within the Los Angeles area!

On August 9th, I was invited as a panelist to come speak to the UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program Cohort of 2024 about life after the program! What a joyous time it was getting to chat with these scholars and reminisce my time while I was one of them. Two years ago, I was a scholar in the program and from the moments I would watch someone be a panelist and guest speak, I always wondered how they get to where they are. Fast forward to now… I am now one of those panelist and guest speakers to come and talk about how this program helps tremendously with your career/future! Getting to speak with this lovely cohort brought so much joy and excitement to the future of Public Health. Their passion and determination shining through is comforting to see how eager this cohort is to start making a positive impact. Getting the opportunity to share my experience and talk about my current role and research study was amazing, their questions were interesting and feedback warmed my heart. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and for the chance to connect with so many passionate people. Your support and curiosity mean the world to me, and I’m thrilled to have been a part of this conversation. I thank each and every one of them for their amazing energy and wishing you all the best of luck in your future endeavors ! Who would've thought the girl who was sitting in a room watching guest speakers would end up being that guest speaker a few years later ?? #publichealth #ucla #clinicalresearchassistant #alumni