From: Susan Guthrie
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2005 10:31 AM
Subject: Latina Students Recognized for Academic Achievement,

Editor’s Note:  Christine Armenta attends the Phoenix program and also resides in the valley.

Latina Students Recognized for Academic Achievement,
Service to Latino Community

Aug. 24, 2005
Contact: Vicki B. Gaubeca or Saxon Burns, (520) 626-7229
               Susan Guthrie (602) 631-6555                                                


Five Latina students at The University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health have been selected as scholarship winners for demonstrating academic prowess and a commitment to serving the state’s Latino population.

The recipients of this year’s Latina Scholarship are undergraduate pre-health education student Sonia Aguila; master of public health students Lourdes Barrera, Olga Felix and Christine Armenta; and Melisa Celaya, who is pursuing a doctorate in epidemiology.

Each winner will receive $4,000, funded by Canyon Ranch Health Resort and the Hispanic Women’s Corp., and also will attend the Scholarship Benefit Luncheon at the 20th National Hispanic Women’s Conference in Phoenix on Sept. 16.

The goal of the scholarship is to prepare students for culturally sensitive and competent careers in public health.

As a high-school senior, Aguila logged more than 200 hours of supervised clinical activity with the Arizona Health Academy, a program designed to give hands-on experience to students interested in health careers.  She’s also a rape victim advocate with the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Abuse.

Barrera received a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from the UA.  She has volunteered as a medical interpreter at Clinica Amistad and Clinica San Juan, and has interned with Tucson Latina Action.  Barrera currently works at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Clinic, which provides a range of health services to people who lack insurance and are ineligible to receive them elsewhere.

Felix received a bachelor’s degree in community health education from the UA.  She has worked for Clinica Adelante, a non-profit organization serving migrant farm workers, as well as the Tucson Urban League and the Wesley Community Center.

Armenta majored in both nursing and Spanish for her bachelor’s degree.  She’s concurrently pursuing a master of public health degree from the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health and a master’s in science nursing from Arizona State University. Armenta has worked as a registered nurse for the CARE Partnership in Mesa, Ariz., and has volunteered as an interpreter and document translator at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.

Celaya received both a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and a master’s in language, reading and culture from the UA.  She co-founded the UA chapter of a service-based sorority, Gamma Alpha Omega, in 1993 and currently works at the Arizona Respiratory Center.

Applicants were evaluated and selected by Canyon Ranch and the Scholarship Committee of the Hispanic Women’s Corp. and the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health. Selections were made based on: academic qualifications, a commitment to serving Arizona’s Latino population, demonstrated leadership in and awareness of Latino communities, talents and interests both inside and outside of the field of public health, fluency in Spanish and English and financial need.  Applicants were required to submit a two-page personal statement addressing these areas.

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Established by the Arizona Board of Regents in January 2000, The University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health is the only college of public health in the 12-state Mountain/Pacific region. The UA Zuckerman College of Public Health's mission is to promote the health of individuals and communities with a special emphasis on diverse populations and the Southwest. Programs concentrate on the reduction of health disparities, the development and maintenance of healthy communities and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

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Susan Guthrie
Senior Public Affairs Coordinator
University of Arizona, College of Medicine
Phoenix
Campus
4001 N. Third Street, Suite 401
Phoenix, Arizona  85012
602-631-6555 (office) 480-241-7738 (cell)
sguthrie@email.arizona.edu