UHP Profile | FabiolaBarajas

Born and raised in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, Fabiola is the first one in her family to receive a masters degree. ”I owe that determination to pursue my education to my mother who always encouraged and supported my educational goals,” she said. Her family is from Mexico, the state of Jalisco.

She chose UIC for both her degrees, a B.S. in Biology and a Master of Public Health (M.P.H). "UIC was close to home, affordable, and although UIC is predominately a commuter school, I spent many weekends studying at the library, and lounges with classmates. We would motivate each other to work on our M.P.H. Essay. Study groups were key to my success in college. This helped me stay focused and motivate," said Fabiola.

Through the UHP School of Public Health Fabiola found out about the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP). "It was the first time I heard of Public Health as a profession. An HCOP internship gave me the opportunity to experience public health in the "real world". I worked at Alivio Medical Center, a community based clinic, located in Pilsen, a medically underserved urban area of Chicago, that provides primary care services to a mostly uninsured Latino population. It was then that I knew that I had made the right choice, public health was for me. It was the perfect fit!"

Today, she is the Coordinator of Community Health Promotions for McNeal Hospital. Fabiola teams up with hospital experts and community agencies to provide screenings, tours, and health education lectures that promote healthy lifestyles, early diagnosis and treatment. Her role is to extend beyond the hospital walls, go into the community and serve the needs of the residents of Berwyn-Cicero. “I like being proactive in trying to teach people responsibility for their health,” she said. According to Fabiola, the Urban Health Program provided her with valuable resources and information throughout her years at UIC. "As a third year pre-med undergraduate student I was really confused and uncertain about pursuing that career. I knew that I wanted to be in the health field and that I wanted to help people. Having the opportunity to experience public health in the 'real world' at Alivio Medical Center helped me to realize that public health was for me. It was the perfect fit. The UHP gave me the opportunity to learn about options in the health professions and to meet Latino health professionals that served as role models and helped motivate me to pursue a career in public health," she added.

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