As a Student 

I have been part of La Vida at Dominican University of California since my freshman year. As a first generation scholar I was clueless when it came to college and how everything works but with the help of La Vida I have been gifted the knowledge and understanding on how different college is from high school, learning from students mentors on how to become a better student, creating productive habits, figuring out my career plan, and so much more. 

Through Dominican University of California I was able to become a service learner at the non-profit RotaCare Clinic located in downtown San Rafael. Our mission is to give medical assistance to anyone who needs it regardless of income status, immigration status, and insurance status. Although my role mostly consists of interpreting for our Spanish  speaking patients I also help the clinic by scribing for the providers and registering patinets in. 

During my freshman year at Dominican University of California, I began participating in undergraduate research. I joined Dr. Spain’s lab, where our project focuses on ocean acidification and how rising pH levels or increasing ocean temperatures may affect marine life. Our research uses European green crabs as our study species, and we are currently measuring their body mass under different environmental conditions to collect accurate data. 

I began an internship with Canal Alliance my freshman year at Dominican University of California. Canal Alliance is focused on empowering and uplifting the community within the Canal neighborhood. This holds lots of meaning to me because I grew up and continue to live in Canal. Specifically, we are working to educate and collect data on tenants' rights and living conditions through our weekly outreach and casual interviews. We will then analyze our findings to determine how we can improve living conditions and educate the tenants.