About Me

       I was born in São Paulo, Brazil, where I grew up until I was ten years old. I grew up with my dad speaking English with my brother and I, and I attended a Spanish school during all the years I lived there, so I had always grown up with various cultures and languages intersecting in my life. I am a Language and International Health (LIH) major, with Spanish as my chosen focus language. The LIH major is a perfect balance of science and expanding on that knowledge to help people who come from different backgrounds, as well as look at healthcare with a global standpoint. I have also completed a psychology and life sciences minor, which further my ability to understand people and how to comprehend their behaviors.

       I have had multiple opportunities to develop and showcase my strengths through specific skills, experiences, and projects. In my role as an Anatomy and Physiology Lab Assistant, I support student learning by teaching complex concepts and creating an inclusive environment where students feel comfortable asking questions. This has been one of my favorite things I have done while at Clemson, as I love being able to support the students and help them through such a challenging course. Furthermore, the South Carolina Public Health Preparedness Student Corps allowed me to complete training in public health emergency response and develop skills to be there for communities in need.

       In 2023, I had the incredible opportunity to observe different clinics and hospitals in Oaxaca, Mexico, where I learned about the problems their health system and communities face due to their lack of funding. This past year I studied abroad in Seville, Spain for a semester while completing an internship at a hospital, helping me gain insight about how care looks different in different countries. These experiences have strengthened my commitment to service, cultural humility, and addressing social determinants of health through both direct care and community-based support.

       Being an immigrant helped me realize how different healthcare is in various parts of the world, which helped me realize what a privilege my background was, and how much impact I could have in people’s lives. I have always had an interest in science and for understanding the way things work, as well as a passion for helping others so I knew I wanted to study health and science to be a part of the healthcare system. I want to focus on patients’ experiences who come from different educational, cultural, or socioeconomic backgrounds, and how to better develop a relationship of trust and understanding with them. I want to constantly contribute to my community's well-being and holistic health by using the service experiences I have gained to attend to community needs.

       I want to go to graduate school to become a physician assistant, possibly in the OB/GYN or emergency medicine specialties. I will be taking a gap year or two to work as a medical assistant in Charleston, South Carolina to further my clinical and patient care skills, as well as save up money for graduate school. I believe that the diverse environment I was raised in has helped me be able to understand people with a different view, one that allows me to better connect with people. I hope to be able to use all of the experiences I have gone through in my future career and personal aspirations, as I believe each of them are equally as important in building me up to be the best provider I can be.