Coming to Yale, I knew I wanted to further my research and state-level policy advocacy experience for adolescent sexual and reproductive health. At YSPH, I was able to build a diverse research portfolio under the guidance of Dr. Ijeoma Opara, associate professor in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department and director of The Substances and Sexual Health (SASH) Lab. For my thesis, I investigated the effects of social media use on adolescent sexual health, substance use, and mental health...

I began studying global health mere months before the COVID-19 pandemic. Witnessing how the pandemic deepened inequities in my community and abroad motivated me to work in health emergency preparedness and response. For example, I wrote U.S. government policy on pandemic funding and advocated for preparedness at the World Health Organization. I joined the Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases Department to sharpen my quantitative skills and bridge them with my policy background...

In 2011, my father passed away unexpectedly at age 48, and the cause was never determined. For years, I searched for answers, trying to understand the forces that shaped his life and death. I realized the marginalization my family faced as immigrants was part of a larger pattern—one that affected communities globally. This understanding fueled my drive for change. At YSPH, I found the tools to turn my grief into action, learning how to uncover and address systemic inequities...