EXPERIENCES
Click one of my experiences below to jump to each section!
Global learning foundations courses are part of the University Core Curriculum (UCC). With Interdisciplinary in content, these courses deal are instilled with essential questions and complex issues, that are best understood and addressed through multiple disciplinary perspectives.
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These courses set the stage for students to make interdisciplinary connections throughout their university career.
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Discipline-specific global learning courses are embedded into every undergraduate academic program. These particular courses provide students with a global view of their discipline of study, as a required course or elective.
Having spent considerable time working at the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center has allowed me to network and make important connections with professionals in the healthcare field. I started as a scribe in 2018 and was assigned to work for Chief of Oncology Dr. Albert C. Lockhart and Nurse Practitioner Tracy Ann Ruegg, Ph.D. I gave everything I had to this position and developed a strong bond with my superiors. As a result, Nurse Ruegg provided me with a wonderful opportunity to join her research team. She immediately trained me in REDCap —a secure web application for building and managing online surveys and databases— and my responsibilities included assisting with academic research on a study titled Culturally Tailored Nurse Coaching Study for Cancer Symptom Management and meeting regularly with the supervisor regarding all data-entry on REDCap and other assignments. As part of the research team, I dealt with research intelligence and data infrastructure, which manages project creation, user-account management, and movement of projects from development to production.
My work with Nurse Ruegg led to another research assistant assignment, this time with Dr. Neha Goel. Using the REDCap platform, I assist in the collection and data entry of biometrics in order to enhance academic research on the correlation between breast cancer diagnosis rates in U.S.-Hispanic females, specifically.
When the pandemic hit in mid-March of 2020, many people switched to working remotely. But as a frontliner, I continued to help those who were hospitalized due to COVID-19 and those with life-threatening cancer diagnoses who were not sure if they would live to see the world return to normal. I had a lot on my plate, but I nonetheless wanted to enrich my collegiate experience and participate in remote academic opportunities offered by FIU. And FIU delivered.
I was surprised to receive an email —smack in the middle of the pandemic— from the Florida International University Honors College Department that provided students with the chance to participate in a research project by neurogeneticist Matthew DeGennaro. A research opportunity during the pandemic? It made no sense. But sure enough, there it was. Mr. DeGennaro made it possible with FLAGG. The FL Ae.aegypti Genome Group (FLAGG) is a project that aims to study the field population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in South Florida in an effort to help prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. The goal of this project is to identify olfactory receptors that enable the zika- and dengue-fever mosquito to be attracted to humans.
Mosquitoes are not only annoying pests, but they also contribute to the spread of horrible diseases like malaria and yellow fever all over the world. In an effort to further apply Global Learning principles, I pursued this opportunity as a chance to give back to my community (mosquitoes are ubiquitous in my beloved hometown) while also helping global populations who struggle to keep their citizens safe from these tiny attackers.
From the moment I stepped foot at FIU, my inner mantra was always eyes on the prize. Work hard, fight harder, no extras. I was reluctant to join clubs and organizations that would distract me from my studies. This new attitude was not an easy one for me to maintain, as my high-school years included countless hours of mission-style trips abroad to help those in need, and other extracurricular pursuits. So as I walked through the GC building one day, the goings-on at the “pit” caught my eye. The navy carpet and wooden floor were covered with plastic balls like those in children’s play areas, and signs that said SIGN UP FOR ROARTHON! were everywhere in sight. For a moment, I didn’t know what to do. Eyes on the prize, said inner me. So I kept walking and went to class as planned. But I couldn’t get that scene out of my head and googled it the moment I got home. “Roarthon, FIU’s Dance Marathon, is a year-long fundraising campaign ending in a 17-hour celebration. All the funds raised benefit the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals program at Miami Children's Hospital Foundation, the fundraising arm of Nicklaus Children's Hospital.” How fast can I sign up?
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Roarthon was right up my alley in so many ways! A student-led organization that raises funds and awareness for our local children’s hospital? I mean, how on earth could I pass this one up? I found them on Instagram and that was that. And as is usually the case with me I gave everything I could to this charitable organization, and I raised over $1,000 as a first-year participant. I later became the Membership Chair, responsible for recruiting volunteers who displayed the same passion I had for the cause.
The phrase “hospital patient” usually conjures images of injured and sick adults, or perhaps of the elderly. But Roarthon aims to change that by reminding the community that there are many children who are currently hospitalized and need help. Being part of this organization has been one of the highlights of my time at FIU, and I hope to continue to bring global awareness to this cause for years to come.
When my mom was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, I immediately felt the need to step up to the plate and help. At a young age, I learned how to cook, do household chores, and even watched endless amounts of YouTube videos about how to remove the clay stains from my brothers’ baseball pants. I did what I could at the time, given my age.
But as I got older, I turned to other more meaningful ways to contribute my time and efforts to the cause. I decided to give back to the American Cancer Society, an organization that had helped my mother at her time of deepest need, and whose contributions to her recovery enabled her to see me walk across the stage to receive my FIU diploma.
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In 2017, I began to manage Team Mission Not Impossible at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in East Kendall, where I devoted many hours to directing and managing the team’s day-to-day operations.
Not only did the American Cancer Society help my mother, but their efforts serve the community at large and the world. I hope my contributions to this worthy cause have provided assistance to those who face this terrible disease that has touched me and my family forever.