As an alumni of the UCLA Public Health Scholars Program, serving as a mentor means that I get to support students through a program that provided me a platform to learn more about graduate school, public health careers, and health priorities. Supporting students through their own journey includes talking to them about my experience through the program and helping them make decisions that best serve their own personal and professional values and goals. Witnessing the mentees growth throughout a short span of 10 weeks confirms that the program is building leaders that are equipped to solve the world's more pertinent health issues.

Joana (JoJo) Fernández, MPH & MSW ‘23

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

UCLA Public Health Scholars is an incredible program for undergraduate students to gain exposure to a broad range of public health topics, expand their local and national professional networks, and reflect on what public health career path aligns best with their personal, professional, and academic goals. This program is especially dedicated to cultivating peer and mentor relationships through workshops, panels, social events, and an end-of-program celebration banquet! As a mentor, it has been so amazing to witness the growth of passionate, collaborative public health learners and leaders in just 8 weeks, year after year.

Catherine Cortez, MPH Epidemiology 2022

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

Participating as a Graduate Student Mentor was an opportunity for me to give back to an amazing program. As an alum myself, I understand the unique opportunity that the UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program provides to students who are curious about public health. From their internships, to professional development, field trips, working on research, exploring a global city, and connecting with their cohort, students are able to have a truly rich experience throughout the summer. Being a mentor was an exciting part of that process because I got to connect with my mentees about their experience learning new topics, working in the field, developing new skills, and because overall I got to be someone they could process this experience with. I can confidently say this program has done so much for me, and it's a full-circle moment to be able to do my part and give back!

Arnold Dimas, MPH Student

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

"The UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program might be intended for undergraduates, but I also benefited greatly  as a mentor. The two students I was paired with are both brilliant and I have no doubt that they will each impact the world for years to come. It was really nice to connect with younger students who share similar goals and ideals and I appreciated the opportunity to talk deeply with them both about the ways that racial health equity impacts the work we do each day. It's been great to continue the relationship with them both and to see what they've gone on to do since completing the program!"

Nana Sarkodee-Adoo, MPH/MSW Student

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

"UCLA's Public Health Scholars Program is a wonderful opportunity for students around the United States to get first hand experience in Public Health and its various Departments. I truly enjoyed speaking to the students about Epidemiology, working with my fantastic mentee, and was beyond grateful to be involved with the students and team to make this program possible. With the ever changing climate of our environment, the impact of a global pandemic, and the continued social and racial injustices in our communities, our country, and our world, we need Public Health Scholars now more than ever. This program gives the exposure, guidance, and support to make that happen."

Ryan Assaf, MPH

PhD Student, Department of Epidemiology

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

As a Program Associate, I was able to contribute to the larger program design, including activities related to team building and connecting Scholars to graduate student mentors. Our mentoring and team building activities were not only a lot of fun, but they also gave Scholars a chance to build strong, meaningful, and lasting relationships with each other and with graduate students already on the public health path. I was fortunate to have excellent mentors during my graduate school experience, and I know how critical those relationships can be, particularly for students facing structural and systemic barriers to accessing education. I served as a mentor as well and was able to share my own experiences navigating graduate school and the public health world with scholars. I truly enjoyed the opportunities I had to interact and exchange ideas with these groups of passionate and innovative future public health professionals. Another really important part of the program was the Health Equity Project, which gave scholars a chance to work in smaller groups to explore a specific public health issue in more depth. In helping scholars with their project presentations, I saw their eagerness to engage with complex issues and come up with innovative solutions - it made me really excited and hopeful for the future of our field.

Monique Gill, PhD, MPH

Lecturer, Department of Community Health Sciences

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health