[Part 2 of 2]
Earlier this year, we announced the launch of our inaugural Student Scholars Fellowship Program, which aims to support the next generation of leaders and scholars who promote the wellbeing of Latinx communities in Washington state. This program includes an outstanding cohort of 10 students in health sciences programs across the campuses of the University of Washington and Heritage University. This week, we are highlighting Gabino Abarca and Magali Blanco, students at the UW School of Public Health.
Magali (she/her) is a third-year PhD student in Environmental and Occupational Hygiene. She was born in Jalisco, Mexico and moved to Santa Cruz, CA when she was five years old, where she grew up most of her life.
Magali was drawn to environmental health because she realized how enacting simple environmental changes can make a big difference in one’s health. “I like the idea that there are small, feasible actions that we can all take to improve our health over the long run. For example, choosing less trafficked routes to exercise on, filtering our water, and selecting foods with lower pesticide loads whenever possible,” she says.
Magali is hoping to graduate soon and take the necessary steps in her career to conduct research in environmental epidemiology, hopefully focused on Latinx health. “Latinx communities are disproportionally affected by many environmental hazards such as community air pollution and occupational pesticide exposures,” she says. “By supporting Latinx health, for example through educational campaigns and public health interventions, we are supporting the health of important sectors of our communities and making us all stronger.”
Read more about Magali’s story here!