STEM OUTREACH AMBASSADORS
Jonathan Gonzalez Padilla
Physiology and Neuroscience, UC San Diego '18
Medicine, Facultad de Medicina y Psicología, UABC Tijuana
jog033@ucsd.edu
Jonathan Gonzalez Padilla graduated from UC San Diego in 2018 with a B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience and a minor in Chicanx Studies. He is currently attending medical school at the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC in the neighboring city of Tijuana. He was born in San Diego but raised in Tijuana, adapting both sides of the border as his home. His life and career plan revolved around communicating pressing medical and science issues to marginalized communities in San Diego and Tijuana. During his time at UCSD, Jonathan was an active member of MEChA de UCSD, a student-run organization emphasizing the need for equitable resources and higher education for students of disadvantaged backgrounds. Jonathan has also served as an intern at the UCSD Cross-Cultural Center where he conducted workshops and facilitated discussions on social justice and systems of power and oppression. He has worked as a STEM Outreach Ambassador since January 2019, where he has assisted in the coordination of STEM-based outreach and exposure events, as well as site visits to K-12 schools. Jonathan is a huge fan of the Xoloitzcuintles soccer team of Tijuana, an avid bookworm, coffee-lover, and self-declared Star Wars Geek.
Arturo "Archie" Baza
Mechanical Engineering, San Diego City College '21
arbaza@ucsd.edu
Archie was born and raised in San Diego. He is majoring in Mechanical Engineering from San Diego City College. He serves as a volunteer in many science community outreach events, is a peer advisor, and is a tutor in a variety of STEM topics. He is an active member and former president of the San Diego City College SACNAS chapter, where they received the Chapter of the Year Award at their 2020 conference and former NASA NCAS intern at Marshall Spaceflight Center. Archie hopes to transfer to a 4-year institution to obtain his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical engineering and minor in Chemistry. All of his motivation comes from the disqualification of his desire to become a jet-fighter pilot due to personal health conditions. He says, " I may not be able to fly, but I would still want to reach my childhood dream, working with aircrafts”. Being one of our ambassadors that helps create fun, easy to learn, and low-cost science; Archie has helped transform the lives of many students in the K-12 spectrum. He is planning to graduate in the Spring of 2021 to further his education.
Ronny Vasquez
Chemical Engineering, UC San Diego '21
French, General Science and Humanities, San Diego City College, ℅ 2019
rjvasque@ucsd.edu
Ronny is an international student from Venezuela. He is a student of chemical engineering at UC San Diego. Ronny transferred from San Diego City College where he was an active member of different clubs such as the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and Phi Theta Kappa Honors society club where he had the role of vice-president for both organizations. Ronny also served as a Peer Advocate at San Diego City College where he helped students from different backgrounds to start their educational journey. His constant contribution to the community had led him to become a part of the UC San Diego CREATE CSSI STEM team, where his efforts to create an equitable educational environment have increased. He is also the communication officer of the SACNAS chapter at UCSD where he helps high school students transition to a 4-year university. He plans to focus his studies on the energy industries where he can help with the development of energy storage and its efficiency.