Activities

I began my position as a research assistant within Florida Recovery Center's research lab at the start of summer 2023. The lab is under the Department of Psychiatry in UF College of Medicine. Our research team works with the clinicians at FRC, an evidence-based addiction treatment program that serves patients from across the United States. As a research assistant, I assess patients and gather data that will be used by their team to create their treatment plan and track progress over time. This position combines my interest in research and medicine, but more importantly, I am honored to play even just a small role in the life-changing recovery process of patients.

As a Mental Health Technician (MHT) at UF Health Psychiatric Hospital, I ensure patient safety by rounding every 15 minutes, taking vitals, and providing hygiene products, linens, and clean clothes as needed. Working across all four units, I support patients from adolescence to older adulthood. This includes caring for individuals with schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, dementia, and drug withdrawal symptoms, adapting to the unique needs of each group. I use a trauma-informed approach to build trust, communicate effectively, and de-escalate situations. While it can be emotionally challenging, I feel better for giving something of myself to others in need.

During my junior year, I coded a website for UF’s undergraduate-led iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) research competition team. I also collaborated with dry lab team members to create pragmatic and robust systems of equations and models to explore the relationships between and measure various biomarkers of sepsis through Organ-on-a-Chip technology. iGEM allowed me to meet and work with undergraduate students of all disciplines who pushed me to grow and learn more than I could do alone. I was one of four students (pictured above) selected to represent our team at the worldwide synthetic biology competition in Paris, France in November 2023. We presented our project to a panel of judges and were awarded a silver medal.

As a Child Life Volunteer, I engage with patients in a 1:1 setting and host group playroom sessions on Unit 44/45 at UF Health Shands Children's Hospital. I complete meaningful activities with patients to foster growth and development, while being responsible for their safety and the proper sanitation of the toys/playrooms. While I always want to help put a smile on the faces of patients (and their families), the patients bring me so much joy too. My go-to games are Uno or Candyland and I love making bracelets or painting during group playroom sessions!

As a teaching assistant for Programming Fundamentals I, I facilitated weekly discussion to enhance students’ understanding of concepts and assist with the programming labs. I also held bi-weekly office hours to answer student questions, help debug code, and provide guidance on the projects/labs. In Fall 2022, I collaborated with the teaching staff to transition the course’s programming language from Java to Python by creating new materials for discussions. The ability to code is so important especially in our present Age of IoT (Internet of Things), and I am passionate about assisting more students in their learning journey. 

I was inspired to bring Healthy Celebrations to my own campus when I discovered the run club that began at the University of Georgia, fostering a positive and welcoming environment for runners of all levels. Healthy Celebrations has expanded to 30+ college campuses nationwide with the motto "endorphins really do make you happy." I am proud to be the campus leader at UF and lead bi-weekly group runs that are designed to be fun and stress-relieving rather than competitive. The picture above features some of the first participants of run club, along with a beautiful sunrise, on a cold January morning!

I am honored to be apart of University Research Scholars Program, which is an opportunity extended by invitation to the top 5% of UF applicants. Beginning freshman fall, I was immediately immersed into the world of research through the course Research and Creativity. In the summer of 2022, I took Mapping Socio-Ecological Systems under Dr. Murtha's leadership. Our class collaborated with the Florida Resilient Cities (FRC) Jacksonville team to investigate the relationships among housing, ecological conditions, and land use to develop new ideas and creative opportunities to improve community wellbeing. As seen in the picture above, I presented the subsequent research poster at UF’s Spring 2023 Undergraduate Research Symposium. In addition, I was a URSP mentor and provided support and guidance for three freshmen in URSP with similar interests and career goals. 

As a freshman from out-of-state, I found immense support and warmth from my church’s small group leaders during my first year. Inspired by their example, I co-lead a weekly Bible studies for around 30 college women the following year. I watched cramped apartment living rooms become spaces for candid discussion and enriching conversations among students from varied backgrounds. We aided one another in navigating various challenges of college, friendships, and life in general, as well as supporting each other's various goals. The picture above features some of our group at our formal end-of-year celebration.

As a member of Pre-Professional Service Organization, I have been fortunate to meet many other pre-health students and receive advice and mentorship from those ahead of me in applying to medical school. I have taken part in numerous service, social, philanthropic, and professional development opportunities through PSO. Some of my favorite memories include participating in goat yoga and going to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal (pictured above) with other PSO members!

At the beginning of my freshman year, I became involved with Dance Marathon as apart of the Emerging Leaders Program. We worked all year to fundraise for UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. In the spirit of Dance Marathon, we bonded together in the O’Dome for 26.2 hours dancing and fundraising, fighting for a future free of pediatric illness. All donations went 100% to the hospital for research, treatment of pediatric illness, and improving children's experiences at the hospital. I loved being apart of this organization and was proud to raise over $900 to change children’s health.