Adam Rodriguez
Born and raised in Pomona, CA, Dr. Adam Rodriguez has had his educational pursuits take him all over the country. His journey began when he left Southern California to attend Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and it was here where he originally became interested in becoming a dentist. Having spent time shadowing and working in the community during his 4 years at Duke, he realized the challenges patients faced when accessing quality dental care, and he wanted to do something about it! After receiving his Bachelors of Arts in History, Adam spent a year teaching back in his home town working with kids from all backgrounds and ages.
Angela KIM
Angela Kim is currently a Health Program Analyst II at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in the Health Promotion Bureau. She has been involved in violence prevention work for the past 8 years and previously served as the Director of Outreach and Education at the Women Shelter of Long Beach. Angela also serves as a freelance reporter for the California Health Report, a solutions-oriented public health journal. Angela has an MA in American Studies and Ethnicity from USC and received the USC Dornsife Graduate Fellowship and various research and funding grants from the USC Transpacific Center and USC Korean Studies Institute. She graduated magna cum laude from UC Davis with two BAs in American Studies and Gender, Sexuality, Women’s Studies and a minor in Education.
CHLOE PHAN
Chloe Phan is currently the Regional Coding Review Manager at Kaiser Permanente. She has twelve years of experience working as a health information professional in revenue cycle management, clinical data integrity, information governance, and auditing. Growing up in a Vietnamese-Cantonese refugee family in San Diego, she learned firsthand the disparities in access to quality and affordable healthcare services. Chloe’s interest in public health spurred during the time she worked at San Ysidro Health Center. She joined her colleagues in various public health events to raise awareness for their HIV/AIDS program that served patients in both San Diego and Tijuana, mobile health clinic program for the underserved communities and Christmas events for the pediatric patients. She graduated with a B.S. in Health Information Management from Shasta College.
Esmeralda Limeta
Esmeralda (Esme) Limeta was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and graduated from Beloit College with a BA in Public Health. She is currently working at the UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program (LOSH) where she supports outreach initiatives and develops bilingual training and educational materials to promote health and safety in the workplace. Before joining LOSH, Esme worked as a Health Organizer, connecting domestic workers and day laborers to MHLA, Medi-Cal, housing, and transportation resources. She has over five years of work experience in health education and has extensive experience working with clinics, non-profits, unions, worker centers, and community-based organizations. Esme is eager to continue to support workers in their fight for better working conditions.
GINA CORTEZ
Gina Cortez is currently a Data Analyst at Maternal and Child Health Access (MCHA). Originally from the Coachella Valley, Gina graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development from the University of California, Davis. Her interest in public health began during her undergraduate studies, where she applied a psychosocial approach to health care through research in rural and underserved areas in the Appalachian region. She joined MCHA’s Welcome Baby home visitation program to gain experience working with a multidisciplinary, trauma-informed intervention aimed at promoting healthy development and providing sustainable life skills to families in vulnerable Los Angeles communities. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.
ISABEL CUEVAS
Isabel Cuevas grew up in Los Angeles County and attended California State University, Long Beach where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Care Administration with a minor in Health Science. She found her passion for public health at an early age when she began volunteering for the American Diabetes Association. Once she graduated from college, she began working in health promotion and was dedicated to serving underprivileged communities. Through her work, she has strived to get members reengaged with their health and connected them with resources to address any psychosocial issues. Currently, she works as a Care Management Coordinator for PIH Health Physicians medical group where she assists in care coordinator needs and collaborates with care teams to develop effective care plans by assessing health interventions and identifying barriers that may affect access to care.
Jackelyne Sosa
Jackelyne Sosa is currently a Cancer Navigator for the County of Los Angeles Department of Health Services. She works closely with the Clinical Social Work Department and Oncology Department at Harbor UCLA Medical Center to provide patients with needed resources and follow them throughout their treatment. Jackelyne is a native Angeleno and a first-generation UCLA alumna who received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Upon graduating from UCLA, Jackelyne went on to work at a senior living center to work as an activity leader for seniors diagnosed with dementia. While working there, she received an Extra Mile Award for spearheading a fundraiser in benefit of the Alzheimer’s Association. Jackelyne’s desires to be a lifelong leaner and provide compassionate, preventative care have inspired her to purse a Master in Public Health degree.
KIMBERLY MONTANO
Kimberly Montano is a first-generation, Bolivian American. She is a Health Educator at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, for the Substance Use and Prevention Program in the Adolescent Medicine Division. She works with youth to promote awareness, prevention, and an open dialogue regarding substances. This includes dismantling stereotypes concerning substance use, treatment, and recovery, particularly within the Latinx community. Simultaneously, she is a scribe at St. Francis Medical Center Emergency Department in Lynwood, CA working alongside physicians and physician assistants. She completed her B.S. degree in Biology and Sociology from Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. Afterwards, Kimberly was an Emergency Medical Technician in Los Angeles County, and responded to 911 calls from 2019-2021. Subsequently, she worked at UCLA Medical Center Emergency Department as an Emergency Trauma Technician. She credits her field and hospital experience during the Covid-19 pandemic, for honing her patient care skills.
LAURA FERNANDEZ
Laura is a first-generation Latina from Mexico and a first-generation college graduate. She obtained her B.S. in Public Health at CSU Los Angeles in 2017. She currently works for the Non-profit organization APAIT. APAIT’s mission is to positively impact the quality of life for vulnerable communities experiencing behavioral health challenges, housing insecurity, and at-risk for HIV/AIDS. More specifically, Laura works as a Housing Program Manager. She works with both housing opportunities for persons with AIDS/HIV (HOPWA) and further manages a low-income property in the city of Compton that houses ten LGBTQIA-2S individuals suffering from housing insecurity.
RYAN NGUYEN
Ryan Nguyen is a Mexican-Vietnamese Healthcare Professional currently serving as an Account Manager for Kaiser Permanente, Southern California. He graduated with Honors from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona earning a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration where he went on to serve as the Director of Student Activities, Vice President of the GCU Future Healthcare Administrators Club, and University Ambassador for prospective Honors students. Ryan shifted his career from pre-licensure Nursing to Healthcare Administration, utilizing the professional skills he obtained from his internships to immerse himself in the Administrative and Business Functions of Healthcare Operations.
Samantha Marisol Bonilla (Sam) was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and graduated from California State University Dominguez Hills with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science with a concentration in community health. She is currently working at Quest Diagnostics task force Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE) and initiative. Sam is dedicated to work collectively to help bridge healthcare gaps to reduce health disparities in underserved communities.
Tanya Marin-Lopez
Tanya Marin-Lopez graduated from California State University, Northridge and received her B.S in Public Health and minored in Lactation. She has coached and coordinated Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) screening and response implementation at LA County DHS pediatric and family medicine clinics. Her professional interest are data analysis for quality improvement, mother-child dyad health care, and trauma-informed care. After gaining valuable work experience, it was clear for her she wanted to pursue her Masters in Public Health.
Vy Le
Vy Le is a 1.5 generation Vietnamese American. She immigrated to the United States with her parents and grew up in the San Gabriel Valley. She is currently the Community Health Educator at the UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she works with oncologists and community partners to increase cancer screenings and prevention for the AAPI community in Orange County. At UCI, she developed and currently oversee a service-learning program that provides community-based participatory research opportunities for public health and medical students that focus on cancer health disparities in underserved communities. Vy received her BA in Asian American Studies from the California State University, Fullerton.
Yessica Escutia Ponce de Leon
Dr. Yessica Escutia Ponce de Leon was born and raised in Guanajuato, Mexico. She moved with her family to Woodstock, Illinois when she was a junior in High School. She was highly motivated to learn English as she had always dreamt of going to college and pursuing higher education, which she did! After she graduated from Northern Illinois University with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry, Dr. Yessica moved to Iowa City, Iowa to attend the University of Iowa College of Dentistry. Besides obtaining her DDS in 2017, she also discovered her passion for public health.