Zaida Carballo is a senior at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley majoring in biomedical sciences with a minor in medical Spanish. On campus, Carballo has participated in undergraduate research in the chemistry department, where she co-authored two peer-reviewed articles in the field of nano energy. Passionate about healthcare and public health, she began a master’s degree in public health at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston as part of an accelerated graduate program. Following the completion of her master’s degree, Carballo plans to pursue a career in medicine. She holds a strong interest in health policy and improving healthcare for marginalized communities. She aims to obtain a more holistic sense of medicine and hopes to unite her interests by learning and understanding the distinct role healthcare holds as an agent of domestic and foreign development. Furthermore, she hopes to learn more about health advocacy and policy for a diplomatically active career.