Project Title: The Role of the Built Environment and COVID-19 on Food Insecurity Among Low-Income Communities in Los Angeles County.

Mentor: Melissa Gallardo, MS, RD

Project Placement: Food Access Los Angeles

Project Details: Lara interned with Food Access Los Angeles, a non-profit organization that aims to build sustainable food systems. Working alongside her professional mentor, Lara completed projects in community education, health education and health communication. Notably, she has provided support at the market match booth at the Watts & Willows and Central Avenue Farmers Markets. In this role, Lara worked alongside team members to match funds for eligible shoppers to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition to attending lectures and actively participating in classroom discussions, Lara collaborated with a small group of peers on a health equity project. Her academic poster, presented at the CDC Showcase, explored food security among low-income communities in Los Angeles and provided recommendations on how to improve access to healthy foods. At her internship and with her health equity project, Lara is curious, dedicated, invested, and overall, a pleasure to work with. She has been eager to learn about different public health programs and initiatives, is passionate about food security and demonstrates a high-level of professionalism.

Project Title: Community Health Advocate and Student Researcher on WASH (water and sanitation, hygiene) Insecurities among the Unhoused Population in the Event of a Flood

Mentor: Barbara Gonzalez, MPH

Project Placement: California Hospital Medical Center

Project Details: Alexus interned with Dignity Health California Hospital Medical Center, an organization that serves some of the most vulnerable populations in Los Angeles, California. Alexus worked with her professional mentor to create a health education newsletter for the community. She also worked closely with the team to design and create materials and implement a new program called, "Mind Matters." Alexus attended workshops to learn more about various topics, including Alzheimer's Disease and mental health. In addition to attending lectures and actively participating in classroom discussions, Alexus collaborated with a small group of peers on a health equity project. Her academic poster, presented at the CDC Showcase, explored literature on WASH (water and sanitation, hygiene) insecurities among the unhoused population in the event of a flood and provided recommendations on best practices.

Project Title: Addressing Mental Health Within Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in Higher Education

Mentor: Anthony Reyes, Ed.M

Project Placement: Community Health Councils

Project Details: Anou interned with Community Health Council’s Social Change Institute, which works in partnership with community leaders representing non-profits, youth advocacy groups, community residents, and grassroots organizations to collectively build equitable systems and sustainable movements. Anou was instrumental in community engagement efforts and in the planning of an in-person summit.

Anou’s health equity group was responsible for facilitating a group discussion on the topic of Mental Health and Substance Use as it relates to public health. Alongside her peers, she presented on the topic as well as co-hosted a panel of professionals working in the field of mental health and harm reduction. Her group health equity project, presented at the CDC Showcase, explored solutions to improve the mental health of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in higher education settings.

Project Title: The Imprisonment Epidemic: Addressing the Prison Industrial Complex Through a Public Health Lens

Mentor: Evelin Tomayo-Hernandez, MPH

Project Placement: VenaVer Events

Project Details: Melina interned at VenaVer Events, a community and food advocacy organization that develops and operates certified farmers’ markets and community events throughout Los Angeles County. VenaVer also partners with Hunger Action LA 501(c)3 to fight food inequities through food distribution events, advocacy, and market programs like Market Match. Melina actively participated in community outreach and petition signature collection for the expansion of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) incentives, a program that advances health equity by helping families with low incomes gain more access to healthy foods. She also assisted with on-site Cal-Fresh sign-ups, EBT processing, and worked with the team to develop a free community wellness event.

Melina’s health equity group was responsible for facilitating a group discussion on the topic of mass incarceration as it relates to public health. Alongside her peers, she presented on the topic as well as co-hosted a panel of professionals working in the field of criminal justice reform. Her group health equity project, presented at the CDC showcase, offered public health strategies to address disproportionate rates of incarceration.

Project Title: A Closer Look Into How We Are Failing Black Trans Women: Barriers to Adequate HIV Care

Mentor: Andrea Williams, MPA

Project Placement: Southside Coalition of Community Health Centers

Project Details: Nohely interned at Southside Coalition of Community Health Centers, a non-profit organization established to sustain, coordinate, and improve healthcare access and delivery to the impoverished and vulnerable community members of south Los Angeles. Nohely assisted with the Care Coordination program which connects patients back to their primary care provider after being discharged from the hospital. She also conducted outreach, provided health education, and worked with the team to organize an annual “Walk for Health” back-to-school event.

During Nohely’s participation in the UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program, she exemplified outstanding leadership. She demonstrated exceptional teamwork, problem-solving skills, and was also a dynamic critical and creative thinker. Additionally, her mentors and co-workers spoke incredibly highly of her and her contributions. According to her fellow scholars, “Nohely is a confident and hardworking health advocate, offering her own insights while making space for and being open-minded towards others.” Nohely expressed a dedication to pursuing a career in public health with a focus on advancing health equity.

Project Title:  A County in Crisis: Housing as a Social Determinant of Health in Los Angeles County

Mentors:  Richard L. Zaldivar, Christopher Aono, and Hanna Paola Silva

Project Placement:  The Wall-Las Memorias Project

Project Details: Kelly interned at The Wall-Las Memorias Project, a community health organization in Los Angeles that serves low-income and hard to reach communities throughout Los Angeles, which educates community members on the importance of HIV/AIDS, substance abuse prevention, and community building in the LGBT community. She worked alongside the organization’s executive director and HIV program manager to address the health needs of the community and participate in advocacy and community engaged program planning. For her health equity project at UCLA, she was part of a team of scholars that examined housing as a social determinant of health and researched how the absence of adequate housing impacts community health. The group also explored the impact gentrification has on housing and homelessness.

During Kelly’s participation in the UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program, she exemplified outstanding leadership and exceptional teamwork, problem solving, and critical and creative thinking skills. Kelly plans to pursue a career in the field of public health and is committed to advancing health equity.