“I am the face of Medi-Cal, and I am your future nurse.”

Too often, Medi-Cal members are stigmatized. At times they – we – are judged as: “Working the system.” These prejudices are corrosive and spiral into more disadvantages. For example: Those who lack health literacy won’t seek help. Their health declines. Then, they end up in an emergency room, where it may be too late.

As a healthcare professional-in-the-making, it’s my goal to eradicate stigma, shed light on healthcare disparities, improve healthcare equity, and empower others who are low-income and need access to treatment in this diverse local community.

Having won the 2018 national ACAP scholarship, I’m speaking to others who, like me, dream of completing their degree. I’ll let them know they’re not alone. I’ll tell them:

I am the face of Medi-Cal, and I am your future nurse.