UC San Diego Alum Feature: Emerly Machado-Villavicencio

One night in her sophomore year, right before Emerly Machado-Villavicencio Machado was about to sleep, she decided to check her Facebook on her phone. One post on the UC San Diego Class of 2022 Facebook group caught her eye; it was about the Latinx Leadership Program, a program offered by the The Basement at UC San Diego . Although currently not active, the Latinx Leadership Program was a year-long program that empowered Latinx UC San Diego students, through group sessions discussing culture and identity, and gave students exposure to real-life situations through mini-practicums and summer internships. Such offerings were valuable to Machado as a first-generation college student.

“Entrepreneurship was new to me, but I decided to try something different. I heard about the Basement before, and it caught my eye as something I could be interested in,” Machado noted. “Not only that, but it offered a community of like minded people and opportunities where I could discover myself with.”?

Then in her third year, the Public Health major ended up enjoying the program, even though it was during the pandemic and everything was virtual. The program had sessions that focused on mental health, coping skills, professional development, and having a sense of self. Machado was also connected to a mentor who worked in the Public Health sphere, helping her with her job interviews and LinkedIn, and did a mini-practicum in spring quarter.?

At the end of the program, students were given the chance to apply for several internships for the summer. The one on the top of Machado’s list was Radicle Science, since its mission statement aligned with her own interest in Public Health and her own personal passions in making healthcare accessible and available for underserved communities. With the help of her mentor, Machado made her resume and her cover letter, with her cover letter eventually being the deciding factor for how she got into the internship.?

“When I met with Pelin Thorogood, she mentioned that what stood out was my resume and cover letter. Those made me look confident, like I was a good fit for Radicle and their mission statement, so I give a lot of kudos to my mentor and program that helped me stand out,” Machado noted.?

Machado was accepted first into a marketing internship, but later Radicle Science moved her to a project management internship, which was more suited to her interests anyways. From her summer internship, Machado was invited to continue interning for the company. Currently, Machado works full time as chief of staff, and as a part of her position, she spent much of her time so far jumping around different roles, growing many different skills.?

“I started off working closely with the research team for about 3 months, and so my work ranged from researching recruitment partners for participants in our studies, managing inbox inquiries, and making sure everything aligned and was ready to run. I moved to the customer success team, which works closely with brand partners,” Machado noted. “That requires me to ensure each brand is properly onboarded, triaging inboxes, and making sure everything is approved, especially since I’m in charge of submitting and updating our studies on ClinicalTrials.gov for public visibility."

Machado has the ability to jump across several teams and understand how each team may intersect with each other. Her focus is on project management in order to ensure the success of Radicle Science’s studies.

In the future, Machado sees herself to be a part of Radicle for several years to continue her own growth, and taking on management and operational roles. Beyond that, she is considering receiving a certification in project management at the UC San Diego extension school. Anything meant to improve her skills and what she can do, Machado wants to jump into it.?

“Anything I do outside of Radicle, I’d want it to reinforce my skills and responsibilities at Radicle,” Machado explained.?

Her advice for students applying to internships is to put a lot of thought into their cover letters. Machado notes that a cover letter could be a greatway of showing how someone’s personal beliefs may intersect with the company’s mission statement.

“You also have to think about how you might not know everything, and you have to make note of your willingness to learn and strengthen any skills,” ” Machado explained. “Being able to adapt and communicate, those are some main things that you should show about yourself.”?

Not only that, Machado added that UC San Diego has programs available for all students, such as those at the Basement, that can help you reach out to important resources. Not only that, Machado notes the importance of having a backup plan like a backup internship, or to have mentors who can guide you.?

“Linkedin can be a great resource as well,” Machado explained. “You can reach out to alumni who are in the fields you want to be in, and you can say, ‘Hey, I’m interested in what you are doing. Do you have time to meet up and talk?’ Be aware some people – they might not reach out, but keep reaching out!”?

Finally, Machado noted that she can serve as a resource to any current UC San Diego students, and that her LinkedIn inbox is open to anyone.?

“I feel really grateful for all of the resources I had at UC San Diego, so if there’s any way I can give back,” Machado noted. “If there are any students who are interested in what I am doing, feel free to reach out. I feel like I can be a point of reference for any resources that students may be interested in.”

Kaitlin Lee Jacques Chirazi Christine L. UC San Diego Office of Innovation and Commercialization The Basement at UC San Diego