What drew you to study Global Health at UC San Diego?

I came to the U.S. as a war refugee with my family at a young age, through church sponsorship. I’m ethnically Eritrean, was born in Ethiopia, and at one point, my family sought asylum in Kenya due to the Badme Border War conflict. Growing up with that history of displacement shaped how I saw the world—and the health systems we interact with.

Because of my personal experience, I always knew I wanted to pursue a path in health, especially to support under-resourced communities. My grandfather was a doctor in Eritrea, and he inspired me early on because he got to help people from so many diverse contexts, with the limited resources he had. But it wasn’t until I got to UC San Diego and discovered the Global Health Program that I was finally able to put a name to

the kind of work I wanted to do. I felt capable for the first time and like I fully belonged somewhere. My lived experience mattered. I wasn’t just learning about health in a biomedical sense—I was finally able to explore health through a social, cultural, and justice-centered lens.

Was there a moment during your time at UCSD when you thought, “Yes, this is the kind of work I want to do”?

When I began researching the mental and clinical health outcomes of displaced Eritrean refugee youth—especially unaccompanied minors—it really clicked for me. I focused on how displacement impacts mental health, attachment styles, and community resilience. These weren’t abstract topics for me; they were personal. I had lived that experience. And for the first time, I felt like I had permission to bring my full self—my story, my family, my community—into the academic space.

That moment when I realized my lived experience was not only valid but valuable in global health work—that’s when I knew I was in the right field.

What made you decide to stay for the Master’s program after finishing undergrad?

After I graduated with my B.A. in 2020/2021, I took a year off to work in nonprofit spaces serving newcomer, BIPOC, and refugee youth. That experience was so meaningful that I knew I wanted to build on it with deeper training. So I returned to UCSD in 2022 as part of the fourth cohort of the Global Health M.A. program.

What drew me back was the chance to dive deeper into research and program development, and to study in a smaller, more supportive setting. I also TA’d during the program, which was something that I’ve always been interested in doing. It helped cover tuition and gave me a stipend—plus, it allowed me to mentor others. I even helped two mentees from my own community apply to the program and wrote a recommendation

for one of them. That sense of full-circle growth made it all worth it.

Life After Graduation: Tell us about what you’re up to now—what’s your role with UCSD Community Health and what kind of work do you get to do?

I’m currently a Project Manager at the UC San Diego Center for Community Health in the Refugee and Immigrant Health Unit. Our mission is to advance health equity and well-being in refugee and immigrant communities through culturally responsive approaches. Our work also spans state-wide with our Afghan Refugee School Impact (ARSI) & Afghan Youth Mentoring (AYM) Program. 

I support the management of a variety of programs related to maternal health, youth development, and health policy advocacy while also supporting program evaluation of our economic, community health and behavioral health initiatives. Some of the major programs I work on include the Refugee Doula Training Program, the Youth Advisory Council, the SDRCC Policy Council, and the SDRCC SEED entrepreneurship initiative. I also oversee our unit’s internships and help with collaborative research, data analysis, report building, and evaluation. 

Overall, my role is centered on fostering community engagement, supporting partners with local and state-wide advocacy efforts, capacity building, and collaboration across different community organizations and ensuring that our programs and research are culturally responsive and community-led.

You focus a lot on youth and community engagement—what does that mean in practice? Any favorite projects so far?

Youth and community engagement, for me, means creating spaces where our community members are not only included but centered in the work. It’s about listening deeply and co-creating programs with those who are most impacted. 

For example, the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) began as a program led by youth from immigrant and refugee backgrounds, focused on advocating for health equity in San Diego. It provided BIPOC youth (ages 14–19) with the tools, resources, and space to create meaningful change through advocacy and youth-driven projects. Now, YAC has transitioned into a more career development–oriented model that continues to

center youth voice and leadership, but with a stronger focus on building real-world skills, professional teamwork, and career exploration -- especially within the global/public health field. This is all in hopes to close the gap that exists between our communities and institutions.

How did your classes or field experiences at UCSD help prepare you for this kind

of work?

So much of what I do now builds on the skills I gained through UCSD’s Global Health programs—especially around project design, stakeholder engagement, policy advocacy, and community-centered research.

The emphasis on social determinants of health, cultural humility, and values-driven public health work was foundational for me. I also appreciated how much the program emphasized applied work. I learned how to write project proposals, analyze data, use research methods, shape healthy policy advocacy, and communicate across different cultural and institutional settings—all of which I now use every day in my role.

Passions & Purpose: You talk about centering equity in your work—what does that look like for you in real life?

Equity for me means not just including communities in conversations, but making sure they lead those conversations. It means co-designing programs with community members, respecting their time and insights, and ensuring that our work is culturally responsive and rooted in lived experience. Capacity building is also central to this. 

I also see equity in how we evaluate programs—centering community needs, prioritizing the sorts of outcomes they are looking for, uplifting community-driven data, and whether we’re challenging systemic barriers rather than just managing symptoms.

What keeps you motivated to do this kind of work, especially when it gets hard or

messy?

Honestly, my community keeps me going. I see myself and my siblings in the youth I work with. I remember what it was like to feel displaced, to navigate systems that weren’t built for us. 

The work can definitely get overwhelming—but the moments of connection, of seeing our youth step into leadership, of watching a mother feel empowered through our doula program—that’s what keeps me going.

Why is it important to create space for youth voices in public health

conversations?

Because youth carry the wisdom of lived experience and the creativity to imagine something better. Especially in refugee and immigrant communities, youth are often cultural brokers, caretakers, and changemakers—but their voices are rarely centered in systems.

Creating space for youth isn’t just the right thing to do—it makes our work more effective, more sustainable, and more equitable.

Looking Back & Giving Advice: If you could give your undergrad self one piece of

advice, what would it be?

You are in the right place. Even if you feel like you don’t belong or you’re not “enough”—you are. Your lived experience is valuable. Keep showing up, ask questions, build connections, and trust that your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. It’s okay to pivot away from what everyone expects of you, to receive what is best for you. In fact, it’s necessary!

Any tips for current Global Health students who are trying to figure out what’s next?

Start by exploring program and project management, perhaps community research internships. These are highly transferable skills and a great entry point into nonprofit and public health work. Attend events, join advisory boards, and get involved in community work if you can. Even one connection or experience can open up so many possibilities.

And don’t be afraid to pivot. It’s okay to step away from what’s expected in order to step into what’s right for you.

What’s one class, internship, or experience from UCSD that really stuck with you?

Honestly, it’s hard to pick just one. But I’d say the opportunity to TA during the M.A. program was transformative. It gave me confidence as a mentor and educator—and allowed me to support others in my community. I also really learned so much from Dr. Kaiser’s research methods course for the grad program, Dr. Walkover’s course on CHWs, and Professor Rad’s course on program management -- all of what I learned in

these amazing classes led by these brilliant professors, have shaped my work and left a lasting impact on me.

Looking Ahead: What’s something you’re excited about right now—either in your job or just in life?

Right now, I’m really excited about growing the maternal health aspect of our work. Supporting refugee and immigrant mothers through initiatives like our Refugee Doula Training Program and contributing to broader maternal health equity efforts has been incredibly meaningful. I’m looking forward to expanding these projects, deepening our partnerships, and finding new ways to elevate community voices in spaces that have

historically excluded them.

I’m also just excited to continue growing in my experiences. I've learned a lot so far and am looking forward to growing and hopefully contributing more.

Where do you see yourself growing next in your work or personal goals?

I want to work on building more confidence, strengthening my leadership, mentorship, and eventually, I hope to attain a PhD. I’d love to help shape systems that better serve refugee and immigrant communities. But no matter how far I go, I want to stay rooted in community-based work. That’s where the real transformation happens. I’m deeply grateful to the UC San Diego Global Health Program for shaping the path I’m

on today. From undergrad to graduate school, the program gave me the language, tools, and community I needed to turn my lived experience into purposeful, impactful work. The support I received—from faculty, classmates, and mentors—remains a constant source of encouragement and inspiration. As I continue to grow in my role at the UC San Diego Center for Community Health, I’m excited to keep building bridges

between our work and the Global Health Program, creating new opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and shared learning. It truly feels like a full-circle moment, and I’m honored to stay connected to the place that helped me find my voice.