Matriculating Class of 2024
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Farhad Ghazali Farhad was raised in Modesto, CA as the son of two hard-working immigrant parents from Pakistan. He attended Modesto High School and completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Merced where he graduated with a degree in Human Biology. During his childhood, he experienced the physician shortage in the San Joaquin Valley. It was challenging to find quality care, something he wishes was easier to access at that time. After his grandmother passed away from uncontrolled diabetes, Farhad sought to learn more not only about diabetes but about the field of medicine. He worked as a medical assistant and scribe at Valley Diabetes & Obesity, a practice dedicated to providing his underserved community with quality care. Here, Farhad learned more about the numerous complications of diabetes, the fundamentals of clinical practice, preventative medicine, and the significance of meaningful care. His passion for medicine was reaffirmed during his work and he was inspired to return to the San Joaquin Valley to alleviate the healthcare disparities that plague his community. Farhad believes ‘Quality Healthcare is not a privilege, but a right everyone deserves’. He is driven by the Islamic principles of compassion, social justice, and service to humanity. Farhad looks forward to becoming a physician leader to serve humankind, alleviate suffering, and advocate for those who have no voice in healthcare. Outside of medicine, Farhad enjoys bodybuilding, building Legos, and spending time with loved ones. |
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Ajmeet Pama-Ghuman Ajmeet is the first-born daughter of Sikh immigrants from Punjab, India, who settled in Kingsburg, CA, a small agricultural town nestled in the central portion of the San Joaquin Valley. Witnessing her family seek care while experiencing acute pain and become discouraged by limited Punjabi interpreter services exposed her to the chronic language deficits in her community. Their recovery emphasized to her the dramatic impact of compassionate physicians on the outcome of their patients and the importance of such providers to our community. She began her academic journey at Kingsburg High School, spearheading multiple community/campus initiatives and conducting environmental research under NASA GLOBE to tend to the needs of her small town and school. Motivated to invoke positive change in healthcare accessibility, she was selected by the prestigious Smittcamp Family Honors College at Fresno State, where she completed her B.S. in Biology with honors. While there, she dedicated her time to research under Dr. Karine Gousset to develop a technique relying upon laser dissection to isolate tunneling nanotubes. This structure is implicated in the spread of viruses, cancers, and other pathologies, making delineating its structural blueprint essential to reveal potential drug targets. Outside of rigorous academia, she invested her time into her community by serving as a community health worker during the pandemic under Jakara Movement, as part of the COVID-19 Equity Project, to improve accessibility to COVID-19 testing/vaccines and interpreter services for the Punjabi community. She pursued the position of an ED scribe at Community Regional Medical Center, where she grasped the ripple effect of limited resources on long-term health in rural and urban settings. She continues to remain connected with Kingsburg by serving as a mentor for students interested in medicine. Through these experiences, she has become dedicated to weaving community outreach into her medical practice and developed a passion for health education, policy, and preventative medicine. Via UCSF SJV PRIME, she is excited to equip herself with the skills and knowledge needed to best serve the community, which has driven her toward becoming a physician. |
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Belen Bravo Belen Bravo is a first-generation Latina primarily raised in Bakersfield, CA. She is one of four girls to two Mexican immigrant parents. She always had an inkling for medicine from a very young age but it was not until she was an undergraduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles where her dream was cemented. During her time at UCLA she not only realized the need for more Latine physicians but specially in medically underserved areas, like the San Juaquin Valley. Recognizing the various health disparities that affect these regions and minoritized populations she began volunteering her time with organizations that aimed to combat these disparities. She volunteered as a case worker for individuals experiencing homelessness, a tutor for at-risk youth, peer counselor for underrepresented students, and much more. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in Human Biology and Society and minor in Chicane Studies she stayed a year in LA to work as a scribe for an Internal Medicine physician at a Federally Qualifies Health Center. After a year she moved back to Bakersfield to be closer to family and scribe for a Neurologist. Through her undergraduate and gap year experiences she developed a passion for health advocacy and mentoring to increase the number of physicians from underrepresented backgrounds who will dismantle these health inequities. With these passions in mind she looks forward to serving the SJV as a SJV PRIME student! |
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Audrey Garcia Audrey was raised in the quaint agricultural town of Porterville, CA. She is the daughter of two Filipino (Ilokano) immigrants, and she grew up alongside a loving community of other Filipino Americans that soon became her extended family. She attended Harmony Magnet Academy in Strathmore, CA and then graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2021 with a degree in Environmental Studies. She additionally holds a professional certificate in the medical humanities. After college, she worked as a medical assistant in an endocrinology clinic, and then went on to pursue a MS in Medical Sciences and an MPH in Environmental Health at Boston University. Her research focuses include PFAS (“forever chemical”) mitigation for vulnerable populations as well as exploring how climate change influences the development and progression of type 2 diabetes in Filipino American communities. During COVID-19, Audrey started a mask making organization with her mother and fiance to help with mask shortages in her hometown. Audrey’s inspiration for pursuing medicine stems from watching her father complete his medical education in the United States later on in his life while her grandmother was sick with pancreatic cancer. Additionally, growing up in the polluted Valley air, she was constantly in and out of doctors offices for complications associated with her asthma. Consequently, she is passionate about the intersection between environmental health and clinical medicine, especially in the context of the climate crisis and how it affects vulnerable populations. Through the SJV PRIME program, Audrey aspires to dismantle structural barriers to medicine and advocate for innovative, community-informed, and culturally-sensitive approaches to ensure lasting, equitable, and dignified healthcare access for her medically underserved community. In her free time, Audrey enjoys going on long walks with her giant fluffy pup named Willow, reading all kinds of cheesy romance novels, painting nature scenes, attempting to keep her plants alive, exploring the outdoors, and spending quality time with her fiance, friends, and family. |
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Nicole Garza Nicole Garza was born and raised in Fresno, California. She developed a passion for medicine at an early age after her father contracted Valley Fever from unsafe working conditions. Her experience caring for her father as he recovered from Valley Fever opened her eyes to the regional health disparities found within the San Joaquin Valley. This ignited an interest in studying the healthcare disparities/inequities present in underserved communities. She graduated from Central High School in 2018 and went on to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in human biology at UC Merced, where she was able to continue pursuing her passion for healthcare while remaining in the San Joaquin Valley. After she completed her undergraduate education, she moved back to Fresno to take two gap years to explore different healthcare roles. She began by working as a nursing assistant at a local hospital and then transitioned to working as a medical scribe at a nephrology clinic. Her passion for medicine was reaffirmed by her clinical experience and patient interactions. Her pursuit of medicine began as a simple passion for caring for her father and has grown stronger with each step in her journey, motivated by a love for patient care, health science, and a desire to improve community health. She is excited to continue her journey towards becoming a physician through the UCSF SJV PRIME program. As a future physician, she wants to take on the role as a healthcare leader who advocates for underserved communities and strives to improve the health of the San Joaquin Valley. |
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Avneet Mandair I was born and raised in the rural parts of Punjab, India. My family and I immigrated to Fresno, California, when I was 15. I attended Clovis High School and later graduated from UC Merced with a Bachelor’s in Biological Sciences. As a first-generation immigrant, I saw my family struggling to get proper healthcare due to the language and cultural barrier. As a result, my sister and I often acted as interpreters to facilitate communication between my family and their healthcare team. Growing up in an underserved area and seeing my family struggle to access medical care motivated my interest in becoming a physician. While working as a scribe in the emergency department at Community Regional Medical Center and volunteering in hospice care, I witnessed the impact of physician shortage on the patient population of Central Valley and the healthcare barriers many minorities face, reaffirming my decision to pursue medicine. As a part of SJV Prime, I hope to enhance the health literacy of our underserved communities and train to provide culturally competent and sensitive care to our diverse patient populations. During my free time, I enjoy reading books, spending time with my friends and family, and trying new recipes. |
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Victoria Koffi Victoria Koffi was raised in Mountain House, CA, a burgeoning community situated by Tracy, in the northernmost part of the San Joaquin Valley. She is the oldest daughter of three, with immigrant parents hailing from the Ivory Coast. Victoria was first exposed to medicine through doctor visits where she accompanied her sister, who is special needs. It was through the frequent trek of commuting trouble each time to the Bay Area that she began to see how underserved the Valley was. Furthermore, as a Biology Major (with minors in French and Psychology) through attending Howard University, a Historically Black College/University, she was able to spend time serving under-resourced communities like her own, whether it be through volunteering with patients or mentoring students of color. Additionally, her unique undergraduate education setting gave Victoria insight into not only how the healthcare system is at a disadvantage for underrepresented communities, but also her collegiate personal experiences inspired her for how the system could be improved, whether it be through research projects, health literacy, or outreach. Victoria is grateful to be a part of the SJV Prime program to one day come back to the Valley and serve patients like her own family. She is passionate about advocating as a physician to improve access to care and decrease health disparities. In her free time, Victoria likes to play basketball, bake, try new foods, and listen to music. |
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Citlali Lopez Citlali was born and raised in Madera, CA with indigenous roots in the Mixtec region of Oaxaca, Mexico. She was first called to a career as a doctor through her lived experiences translating for her mom at the doctor’s office. While attending Madera South High, she volunteered at Madera Community Hospital and stepped up to translate for Spanish-speaking patients and their families. She graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Biology. At UCLA, she maintained close ties with the Central Valley as a mentor for high school students pursuing higher education. After graduating, Citlali returned home to Madera and worked as a scribe and translator at a family medicine FQHC. She also worked as a nutrition educator for SNAP-Ed eligible youth and adults. Both experiences reaffirmed her passion for medicine and providing care for underserved populations. Citlali’s goal is to serve her community as a doctor and mentor for students like herself who are first-generation and come from disadvantaged backgrounds. She is very excited to be a part of SJV PRIME and cater to the specific healthcare needs of the Valley. |
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Nickie Yang Nickie Yang was born and raised in Southeast Fresno, California to a Hmong refugee family. She is the second of four children to her parents Chue Yang and Xe Vang, both who were born in refugee camps in Thailand before immigrating to the United States in the 1990s. Although her parents were not able to pursue higher education, they always encouraged Nickie and her siblings to embrace the educational opportunities given to them. Growing up, Nickie enjoyed dancing, playing badminton, and going to museums. After graduating from Sunnyside High School in 2018, she attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). During her undergraduate years, she was involved in statistical and population dynamics research. She graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology. During her enrichment years, she volunteered in Fresno where she played with patients at Valley Children’s Hospital, prepared meals for the unhoused community at Poverello House, and worked on advancing health literacy projects at the Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries (FIRM). It was also during this time that Nickie saw the lack of medical research on the Hmong community. As a future physician, Nickie hopes to spread awareness of the health issues of the Hmong community in the San Joaquin Valley by focusing on the cultural, social, and environmental challenges of the Hmong community. Through the SJV PRIME program, Nickie looks forward to learning more about how to become a great physician to serve the underserved communities in the San Joaquin Valley via community engagement and research. |
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Erika Gonzalez Erika Liliana Gonzalez is a first-generation Mexican-American from Turlock, California. She attended Modesto High School before graduating from UCLA with a degree in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and a minor in Biomedical Research. Erika's interest in the SJV Prime Program stems from being raised in an area that could not meet the healthcare needs of her family members while growing up. She aspires to become a Spanish-speaking physician, addressing the need for diverse medical leadership in the San Joaquin Valley. In her free time, Erika enjoys taking ballet classes, trying new coffee shops, and spending time with her family. |
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Alanis Colon Born and raised in Stockton, California, Alanis Colon has developed a strong passion for finding ways to combine health, research, and advocacy to serve and uplift her community. These interests began through two high school internships with Stanford Institute of Medical Research and Health Career Connections, in which she became further aware of the social and health challenges in California’s Central Valley. It was then that Alanis committed to exploring interdisciplinary approaches to improving population health among communities in the Central Valley. Alanis attended high school at Stockton Collegiate International Schools and earned her International Baccalaureate diploma in 2018. She graduated from UCLA in 2022 where she studied biochemistry and minored in Community Engagement and Social Change. During this time, she worked as a research assistant at UCLA Semel Institute’s Aftercare Program, an outpatient research clinic that provides treatment and conducts research with first-episode schizophrenia patients. She also explored community-engaged research and educational advocacy through her Stockton Urban Revitalization Fellowship. Although the uncertainty and challenges that came with the COVID-19 pandemic led to her return home to continue her coursework, Alanis continued to serve as a Health Care Provider through San Joaquin County’s In-Home Supportive Services program to provide care for Stockton residents who were elderly and/or living with a disability. Upon completing her undergraduate career, Alanis worked as a research associate for the Department of Health Systems Science at Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine in Pasadena, CA. Through SJV PRME, Alanis hopes to develop the experiences and skills required to implement programs that encourage California’s Central Valley students to serve under-resourced communities through multi-faceted approaches. These programs would guide students through community-engaged, clinical, or health systems research that seek to address the barriers of accessing preventive health services in marginalized communities. She is excited to grow and learn among peers and faculty who hold a similar passion towards building a brighter future for California’s Central Valley. |
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Ivan Villasenor Ivan was born and raised in Modesto, California. He is a first-generation Mexican-American and the son of immigrant farm and cannery workers. Ivan grew up surrounded by his Spanish-speaking parents, older sister, uncles and aunts, and many cousins. During his childhood, he worked with and learned about computers alongside his older cousins and participated in baile folklorico. Many in Ivan's family, including his father, have worked in the San Joaquin Valley's fields for decades and continue to do so. This upbringing allowed Ivan to witness firsthand the vital role of their work in feeding the nation and the globe. It also exposed him to the significant health disparities faced by underserved communities. Ivan's determination to address these disparities was shaped early on when his parents' concerns about his health were repeatedly overlooked by doctors for years, despite obvious risk factors, delaying proper treatment. After attending Central Valley High School, Ivan pursued his education at UCLA, earning a B.S. in Biology. He gained valuable experience as a Critical Care Technician in the ICU at Memorial Medical Center in Modesto and as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Stanford School of Medicine. These roles deepened his understanding of systemic inequities, such as reduced access to clinical research trials due to information gaps, transportation barriers, and eligibility awareness. Driven by these experiences, Ivan is committed to becoming a physician who listens attentively to patients, provides culturally sensitive and language-concordant care, and empowers his communities to thrive, especially in matters concerning health. In his free time, Ivan enjoys hiking, playing and watching soccer, and spending quality time with loved ones. |
