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January pushes us to "reset," but some years, we’re just trying to keep the wheels on. Navigating 2026 with a baby stroller as my compass, I’ve relied on three North Stars: Jennine, Celeste, and my mother, Monica. They’ve taught me that public health isn't about paperwork—it’s about pan dulce, presence, and protecting human dignity. They turn cold systems into warm sanctuaries, guiding me so I can light the path for the next family. Sometimes, the best way forward is simply s

This year was heavy for public health; Federal programs were cut, budgets shrank, hiring slowed, and uncertainty reached everyone. People with decades in the field felt it, and new graduates and early-to mid-career professionals like me felt it, too. The uncertainty became a shared reality  across the field. As the year ends, I keep thinking about how much can change in twelve months. Graduating with my MPH was supposed to feel like a new beginning, but the transition turned

By: Amy Gonzalez, MPH As a first-generation Latina student, my journey into public health was anything but easy. I still remember finishing hospital night shifts as a medical scribe, leaving at 1:00 am, and curling up to sleep in the backseat of my car outside the university before my 8 a.m. classes. Those moments of exhaustion and uncertainty could have defined me, but they didn’t. Instead, they became the foundation of my resilience and my belief that perseverance creates o

Motherhood in San Diego: where white noise machines blend with neighbors’ reggaetón

I’m at a strange point right now because in my adult life I have been met with three bouts of extreme burnout and I am living one of...