EH MATTERS Cohorts

What has been your journey over the last few years? As a Dallas native, I came to USC seeking a degree in petrochemical engineering in the hopes of researching an alternative to the hydraulic fracturing that had caused lots of environmental damage and anthropogenic earthquakes throughout North Texas. When I first arrived in Los Angeles, I began volunteering with a local branch of STAND LA (Standing together against neighborhood drilling) and learned about the (now defunct) Jefferson Drill Site less than a mile away from USC’s main campus. Through the canvasing and community organizing, I heard the stories of families plagued by asthma, cancer and cardiovascular disease as a direct result of living next to this hazardous drill site. On top of harming the environment, discovering that oil drilling disproportionately impacted low-income communities of color forced me to recognize that the petrochemical industry is a giant that requires broader change than the simple fracking alternative that I originally envisioned. I quickly changed my research interests from lab-based to community-driven by joining the Institute of Inequalities in Global Health, actively participating in the Environmental Student Assembly and seeking out undergraduate course work that focused on the environment and climate related health. When I was applying for my master’s in public health program, I found out about the EH MATTERS program and realized that it was the perfect culmination of all of my interests.