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Laredo native Jennifer Garcia-Davalos grew up on the Texas-Mexico border, where the mostly Latino population suffers high rates of obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers.
She has always wanted to help reduce those disparities.
That’s why Garcia-Davalos, an aspiring physician and a master’s-degree student in public health at The UT School of Public Health, interned at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Over the past year, she helped the IHPR conduct research, mobilize community outreach, and inform, educate, and empower health in Latino communities.
“My internship at the IHPR gave me tools needed to succeed in my graduate studies and my future plans in the health and medical fields,” Garcia-Davalos said. “As a future physician, I want to engage in public health initiatives so that I may effectively work with other professionals to enhance the quality of life of our communities.”
At the IHPR, Garcia-Davalos was instrumental in helping develop the Breast Friends Forever (BFF) support group for young women with breast cancer.
She participated in monthly BFF group meetings, compiled members’ stories, developed a manual of group operations, gave out educational information, and used social media to stimulate communication among group members.
“I learned that the simple act of support and kindness can make all the difference in a survivor’s fight against breast cancer,” she said.
Garcia-Davalos now is taking her IHPR experience with her to the Ross University School of Medicine.
She will study primary care medicine.
Sandra San Miguel, a research instructor at the IHPR and Garcia Davalos’ mentor, said she will make a “great physician.”
“It’s a privilege to mentor young students like Jennifer, expose them to public health and the positive impact that they too can have on our Latino population,” San Miguel said.
By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
