2014

Juliana Adrianzen
San Francisco State University
Consumer Studies/Dietetics
“Helping out my community by volunteering in health fairs, participating in summer camps, and being part of the Student Dietetic Association club at San Francisco State University has influenced me to continue pursuing my degree in Dietetics and at some point be able to become an RD. I know this is still a long process, but with my effort and desires I know I will be able to achieve this goal in life.”

Teresa Andrews
Point Loma Nazarene University
Dietetics
“One of my strengths is belief, meaning I want to find importance in whatever work I do. I also love children; I have been around them a lot in my life. After I become a Registered Dietitian, I would love to find meaningful work that involves children or families.”

Juan Ibanez
Samuel Merritt University
Nursing and Clinical Education
“On August 18th, 2011, I visited my physician for a regular check up and was diagnosed with hypertension and high cholesterol, and determined to be severely obese by the BMI table, at the age of 22. I also was ready to change my life by practicing a healthier life style via food modification and physical activity. Today, I am the healthiest I have been throughout my entire life. Being raised in a Hispanic family and community, I was never encouraged to live an active and healthy life style. It’s very upsetting to see people encouraging unhealthy habits to our youth, because I have experienced the suffering and pain an unhealthy child or person goes through. I have a goal, and it’s to one day make healthy habits the new norm, specifically in lower-income communities of color.”

Amisha Singh
University of California, Berkeley
Sociology, Nutritional Science (Physiology and Metabolism)
“As a Nutritional Science major, I enjoy learning about nutrient metabolism pathways and treatments for metabolic disorders and would like to pursue a career in pediatric nutrition or endocrinology. Researching metabolic disorders is my passion because this field of research holds tremendous potential for treatment of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, obesity, and neurodegenerative disorders. Throughout my career, I aim to work with people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds who are suffering from diet-induced diseases.”

Maiya Evans
San Francisco State University
Master’s of Public Health
“For people who come from communities like my family - low income people of color - diabetes isn’t just a diagnosis, it’s an expectation. The current discourse is that individuals in so-called high-risk populations - usually from African American Latino, and some Asian communities - are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes because of behavioral choices, namely poor diet and lack of exercise. However, I knew that the prevalence of diabetes was more than just individual choice, and I dedicated myself to unveiling the underlying causes of the disease. For this reason, I decided to pursue my master’s of public health at San Francisco State University. I came to realize that diabetes has less to do with diet and exercise than it did with race, class, and economic disparities.”

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2013

Sitoya Mansell
Cal State University, San Bernardino
Nutrition & Food Sciences
“My desire is to expand my knowledge base in nutrition and incorporate it with my Public Health/Community Health Education background and pursue a career as a Registered Dietitian so that I can fully indulge in all aspects of nutrition and positively influence nutritional heath at an individual and population level to my fullest ability. I am also Native American and African American, and a member of the Haliwa Saponi Indian Tribe of Hollister, NC. Since obesity and obesity related disease are prevalent in the Native American and African American community, I would like to provide Nutrition Education to these communities as well.”

Erica Mireles
University of California, Berkeley
Master of Public Health
“The idea that health is not just the product of an individual’s personal choices, but also of the environmental and institutional barriers one faces was an incredible revelation to me. I found that high levels of socioeconomic inequality correlated with even poorer health outcomes. In addition, I found that such communities of high socioeconomic inequality are also those that suffer most because of a lack of resources, including little to no access to fresh fruits and vegetables in poor neighborhoods, and also because of a lack of nutrition education. I am currently pursuing a MPH degree at this time in my life because I understand the obstacles low-income families face and in order to continue to serve these communities, I need the tools to better identity and analyze the social, cultural, and bio-behavioral determinants of health and health behavior. Ultimately, I will work until my personal and professional contributions successfully achieve health equity and social justice, and thus I am eager to continue my studies in the MPH program so that I will be in a better position to help my community lead healthier lives in the near future.”

Jaime Sandoval
Cal State University, Fullerton
Adaptive Physical Education
“I am an advocate when it comes to physical education involvement as I partake in an intense daily workout myself At the age of 23, two friends and I opened up a Strength and Conditioning gym where we would train individuals from all ages, ranging from eight to fifty years of age.”

2012

Mayra Diaz Ramirez
S.F. State University
Masters in Public Health

James Marin
Dietetic Internship at Patton State Hospital

Matthew Vasquez
Cal State Long Beach
M.S. Exercise Science

2011

Ashley Morisako
Santa Clara University
Public Health
“Everyone deserves to have the quality of life they wish to have. Through my experiences in college, I have now realized that I wanted to be involved in the community and promote healthy lifestyles. My personal goal is to start an intervention and prevention program that offers support for children and their families as they struggle with health-related illnesses. To instill long-term lifestyle change, I would like to include a nutrition and diet component as well as a physical fitness and education component. My experiences (working in the community) have primed me for what is to come in my future.”

Matthew Vazquez
Long Beach State University
Kinesiology/Exercise Science
“I want to work to seek out better food and safe recreational environments for our children. As an adult in my community, I still fear strolling to the park because of crime, but one day I know that when I have my children, they will be able to go to that park without hesitation at anytime of day without the fear of being assaulted, kidnapped or followed. I will implement my role to prosper and with the assistance of others, this wondrous dream can one day become a pleasant reality for us all.”

Adrien Wilson
San Francisco State University
Dietetics
“I know that 89.9% of dieticians are Caucasian but the vast majority of nutrition related illnesses are found in community of color. When I was at a school working with children, I saw how necessary it was to have people that look like you, grew up eating the same foods as you, has the same body type as you, and can empathize with your situation and not just sympathize. I am very grateful to everyone who works with organizations that bring nutritional understanding and food justice to communities that are food deserts and children who need it. I know I would be happiest serving the community in the field of dietetics and this is the direction that I am going.”

2010

Karemi Alvarez
University of California, Berkeley
Masters in Public Health

Portia Jackson
University of California, Los Angeles
Public Health

Socorro Dalton
San Francisco State University
Health Education

Kristine Martinez
Cal Poly State University
Food Science & Nutrition

Matthew Vazquez
Long Beach State University
Kinesiology/Exercise Science

2009

Elizabeth Pelayo
University of California, Berkeley
Undergraduate in Nutritional Science
“The problem stems from the injustice that these low-income communities of color face with the powerful food industries and violence in their neighborhoods. I hope to continue my community involvement as a career in which I will be able to voice these injustices and make changes as a future public health researcher and advocate”
Lorena Ramos
California State University, Fresno
Graduate in Public Health
“My decision to study public health and work in the area of healthy living promoting and advocating was influenced by my life experiences. Growing up in California’s Central Valley has allowed me to experience and witness the lack of safe areas for physical activity and fresh fruits and vegetables available to youth from low income communities of color.”

Naya Vanwoerkom
University of California, Berkeley
Graduate in Public Health
“The main reason I decided to quit my job as a nurse and return to school to study public health was a desire to find greater meaning in my profession by entering a field that emphasizes prevention of chronic diseases and through which I could make a difference on the health of minority communities.”
Felice Chavez
San Diego State University
Graduate in Public Health
“I have witnessed the devastating and tragic impact of poor health; therefore, I am thankful for the opportunity to help others live a healthy lifestyle. A Masters in Public Health will and has provided me the knowledge and skills to empower individuals, families, communities, and organizations to improve their health through education, health promotion, and advocacy.”

2008

Misty Avila: Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Food and Nutrition Science
Jaime Flores: California State University, Fresno, Nutrition with an emphasis in Dietetics
Maryetta Golden: Bauman College, Nutrition Education Program
Teslyn Henry: Loma Linda University, Doctor of Public Health, Preventive Care

2007

Samira Jones: UC Davis, Nutritional Biology and Dietetics
Jason Harvey: Bauman College, Nutrition Consultant Program

2006

Caroline Sison: SFSU, Public Health
Samira Jones: UC Davis, Nutritional Biology
Lauren Au: UC Berkeley, Nutritional Science

2005

Melissa Villanueva: Bauman College, Natural Chef
Samantha Parker: Bauman College, Natural Chef
Carolina Maldonado: California State University, Fresno, Food and Nutritional Sciences
Anjani Advani: California State University, Los Angeles, Nutritional Science

2004

Susan Salinthone: Cal State, Chico, and Exercise Physiology
Vanessa Quesada: San Jose State University, Nutrition
Andrew Lee: California Culinary Academy, Culinary Arts
Agnes Galvez: Cal State Northridge, Family and Consumer Sciences in Nutrition
Donna Hamilton: Cal State Fresno, Foods and Nutritional Sciences
Nicole Anziani: UC Berkeley, Nutrition and Dietetics

2003

Monique Sims: UC Berkeley, Public Health
Kara Saiki: USC Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Mercedes Perez: UCLA, Public Health
Judith Mercado: UCLA, Public Health
Carolina Maldonado: CSU Fresno, Food and Nutritional Sciences
Frank Little: UC Berkeley, Nutrition Science
Jeannie Cummings: Institute for Educational Therapy, Nutrition