El Popular News - The largest Spanish language publication in Kern County and the San Joaquin Valley.
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1499656
19 - 25 de Mayo, 2023 © El Popular I 11A www.elpopularnews.com Homeownership is within reach. Buying a home can sometimes seem like an unreachable goal. When you work with Tri Counties Bank, your local Home Mortgage Loan Specialist will walk you through products and resources designed for aspiring homeowners. It's part of our commitment to helping our local communities grow and thrive through the power of homeownership. Low or zero down payment programs Affordable mortgage options Low to moderate income programs Borrowers with low credit scores may be eligible We can make your dream of homeownership a reality. Member FDIC NMLS #458732 1-877-822-5626 | TriCountiesBank.com Alfredo Fletcher Home Mortgage Community Specialist (760) 331-3406 AlfredoFletcher@tcbk.com NMLS #1096273 This is not a guarantee to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval. Applications and disclosures are only available in English. Hablamos Español. Llamar: H errera was among the first students to enroll in California State University, Bakersfield's public health program when it first launched in the fall of 2021. With many requirements already met thanks to her previous major, Herrera will now be CSUB's first public health graduate just two years later. "I'm very excited and it feels very special to be the first one," she said. "I just hope that I can set a good exam- ple for others wanting to be in public health, and I hope I can put a good word out for what a public health stu- dent looks like and make some good things happen in the community." A Bakersfield native who moved to Houston at 5 years old and returned here at 16, Herrera came to CSUB after graduating from Ridgeview High School in 2018. Her interest in health care came from personal ex- perience — growing up, her parents had issues with their health, and as a freshman in high school, Herrera was already experiencing high blood pressure. Knowing her family's health history was not something she could "escape," she decided to eat healthy and be active. "It kickstarted my journey in heal- th," Herrera, 23, said. "I became inte- rested in the human body and health overall. Later, as I grew up, it built into something not just about me and my family, but about my community's health as well, and that's where pu- blic health came in." Herrera started CSUB with the in- tention of enrolling in the nursing pro- gram. It was in the height of COVID when she first heard the university was planning a public health degree, and the general upheaval of her co- llege experience during remote lear- ning made Herrera feel like it might be time to embrace something new. "I've always been afraid of change, but I've also been a firm believer that I have to put myself outside of my comfort zone, because that is when I see growth in myself and my life," she said. "So, when I heard about it, I was like, 'It's time to make this change.'" Small class sizes are a major selling point for students attending CSUB, but Herrera's first few clas- ses of the new program took that to a new level. She remembered a class during remote learning that had only six students. "It was a lot of discussion-based assignments in the class, so we all had to put our two cents in," Herrera recalled. "It kind of forced you to parti- cipate. That really taught me if there's any silence in the class, I have to be the one to break it." Public health students will take a senior seminar course in their final semester, but as the program's first and only graduating senior so far, the class is just Herrera and Dr. Linh Bui, an assistant professor in the pro- gram. "At first, I was like, 'Oh no, the pres- sure!' But I've actually really enjoyed it," Herrera said. "I feel very lucky to have this alone time where she's investing in me and putting all her energy in me. I've been learning a lot through that, and I feel I've been able to get a lot of advice and knowledge from her from these one-on-ones." Dr. Bui also enjoyed her time with Herrera, saying her student exhibits great critical thinking and diligence in all her work. "Most importantly, she is passiona- te about improving the local commu- nity health," she said. "She is a great representation of CSUB public health students. I believe she will bring her skills and passion to serve the com- munity, and I am really proud of her." Herrera is also currently interning at the Kern County Public Health Department, where she is working within the tobacco health education program and learning all about other career opportunities she could pur- sue with her degree. "It's been the best experience, and it's been teaching me so much about those different careers," she said. "What I've found most pleasantly sur- prising is that everyone there loves their job, and they enjoy what they do and it's fulfilling to them. That's the number-one thing I could ask for when looking for a career." The public health program was created to respond to an urgent need for professionals in the field locally. There were few students enrolled in public health classes the first se- mester it was offered. Now, there are 68 for the spring 2023 semester. For Dr. Todd McBride, CSUB's director of health programs, Herrera's gradua- tion is "the culmination of a lot of hard work by many contributors" from the university and the Bakersfield com- munity. "The regional need for a four-year degree program in public health is profound," he said. "Graduates from our program will be on the front line in efforts to close the health dispari- ty gap in many of our communities. I look forward to many more CSUB students following in Ms. Herrera's footsteps." As she finishes her education at CSUB and looks toward the future, Herrera will remember her time at CSUB as "the best college experien- ce I could ask for." She didn't know what to expect when she started co- llege but quickly found a welcoming and positive environment where everyone is accepted. Herrera encourages future pu- blic health students to not be afraid to speak up in class and share their ideas. That might be good advice for any college student, but particularly for those who will be serving their community through public health, she said. "We need different minds of diffe- rent experiences and different bac- kgrounds to be able to understand the various levels of community and people that we have here in Baker- sfield," she said. "We need people from every city in Kern County to help better the community." As the sole representative from her program, Herrera won't have her public health classmates to celebrate with at this month's commencement, but in the stands, she will have her mother, her youngest of four older brothers, her boyfriend and his pa- rents, her grandparents and her aunt, as well as her professors. "My dad unfortunately passed about two Christmases ago, but up until then he was also one of my bi- ggest supporters," she said. "I know he'll be there with me too on the day of commencement." After graduation, Herrera would like to continue working with the Kern County Public Health Department. The desire to promote health in her community that led her to public heal- th has only been strengthened during her time in the program. "Bakersfield has always been good to me, and it has a special place in my heart," she said. "Your community is where you're at, no matter where you're at. There's a lot of need in Bakersfield, so I really wanted to fo- cus on making a change in my com- munity." CSUB awards first public health degree CSUB awards first public health degree Karla Herrera hopes to 'set a good example' for future students Karla Herrera hopes to 'set a good example' for future students When Karla Herrera decided to change her major from pre-nursing to public health, it was a leap of faith that the brand-new program would be a good fit for her. She had to believe not just in herself but in her university. Maya the West Highland White Terrier was a big source of support for Karla Herrera's educational journey. "She definitely did college with me, so she is also graduating!" Herrera joked. Photo by EJ Medellin Story by Kelly Ardis / CSUB