Pursuing passions of civic engagement and public health

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“Civic engagement has always been a part of my life,” says Micaela Gaviola, a Bepko Scholar who mixes her passions with education here at IUPUI.

Born in the Philippines, Gaviola moved to Ireland and then to the United States as a toddler. Throughout high school, she volunteered at hospitals on the IUPUI campus. “That’s why I decided I should apply to IUPUI,” says Gaviola, “There are so many opportunities to continue volunteering.” Learning about the Honors College through former high school peers, she decided to take a chance at applying for the Bepko Scholars & Fellows Program scholarship. Flash forward a few months and the civic-minded applicant would add “Honors Scholar” to her soon-to-be impressive list of IUPUI accomplishments.

Gaviola is dedicated in her pursuit of improving the health of individuals and communities locally and globally and has a passion for reproductive health. As a double major, she is working toward degrees in both Community Health and Epidemiology through the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health.

“My favorite extracurricular activity here at IUPUI is VIDA, which used to be Timmy Global Health,” says Gaviola. She currently serves as President of VIDA Health Partnerships, which is a student-led organization at IUPUI that works to expand access to quality healthcare and to empower students and volunteers to tackle today’s most pressing global health challenges. Through guest speaker presentations, Gaviola learns more about the ethics of global health and form a more holistic view of what it means to serve underprivileged communities.

Even if you’re unsure of what you want to do in the future, getting exposure to different things is important. Sometimes, your passion finds you!

Micaela Gaviola, Bepko Scholar