Choosing the right organization to complete a practicum requirement with the UCI Public Health Program can be an exciting and challenging task. To facilitate this exploration, UCI partners with a wide range of organizations to expose students to the vast field of public health and allow them to apply their skills, expand their knowledge, and enhance their abilities in the field of public health.
Nallely Enriquez, a graduate of UCI who earned her bachelor’s degree in public health in 2019, experienced a challenging moment in finding her true calling. Initially pursuing a major in Biology with the intention of becoming an optometrist, Nallely realized in her third year that her passion was elsewhere. It was during her enrollment in Principles of Public Health class that she discovered her true passion. The connection she felt for public health, and with her professors’ encouragement to explore community-driven work, led her to discover Latino Health Access (LHA).
Intern with community-based organizations so you can experience first-hand how fulfilling our work is, it will give you a perspective on cultural humility that you may not realize impacts health and well-being.”
Alumna Nallely Enriquez, BA ’19
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, LHA has emerged as a prominent community organization championing the rights and health & wellbeing of people of color in Orange County (OC). Situated in Downtown Santa Ana, where communities of color, specifically Latinx/Hispanix, are of low income, LHA has remained committed to the principles of equity and social justice. The organization’s mission revolves around partnering with communities to foster health, equity, and sustainable change through education, services, consciousness-raising, and civic participation.
Learning about LHA’s focus on equity within the Latinx community, their efforts in changing the built environment, and their commitment to community-centered initiatives inspired Nallely. “I loved how they focused on equity with the Latinx community, their efforts with changes in the built environment, and ensuring that our community was at the center of all changes,” said Nallely. Motivated by LHA’s community-driven approach, Nallely reached out to the organization to inquire about volunteer opportunities, which landed her an opportunity to become a volunteer Promotora/Community Health Worker. Nancy Mejia, MPH, MSW is LHA’s Chief Program Officer is proud of LHA’s promotores model as it has gained recognition at the federal level for being a pioneer in this field. “Promotores are the future of the public health workforce,” said Nancy. “We need more practitioners from the community serving the community.”
Through her involvement as a Promotora, Nallely was able to engage with her community and make an impact on their health and well-being, through community health education and prevention. With the requirement to fulfill her practicum experience coming up, Nallely knew that she wanted to continue her work at LHA. Her dedication and contributions as a volunteer and during her practicum ultimately led to a full-time position at LHA, where she has been employed for the past four years as the Youth Engagement Coordinator in the Children and Youth Engagement department.
In her role, Nallely has spearheaded policy changes within the city of Santa Ana, including the ban on flavored tobacco products that disproportionately affects communities of color. Nallely also develops programming to empower children and youth through advocacy and leadership, with a strong focus on community and prevention. Nallely has been able to bring her public health knowledge into practice at LHA. “When we talk about health, we are sort of looking at a holistic definition, so that we just don’t think about the absence of disease,” says Nallely. “Policy can prevent the disease from ever affecting our communities.”
With a public health degree, Nallely is equipped with the right tools to change the world. She encourages students to network and establish connections with other public health professionals and organizations, as these connections can lead to unforeseen opportunities. “Intern with community-based organizations so you can experience first-hand how fulfilling our work is,” says Nancy. “It will give you a perspective on cultural humility that you may not realize impacts health and well-being.”
Nallely looks forward to her continued professional growth. Looking ahead, she aspires to pursue graduate studies in public health and/or public policy, which will ultimately help her give back to her community.
