In addition to earning her degree, public health student Marcela Yubeta has given her time and talent to many different projects that help the university community, the region, and the nation respond more effectively to COVID-19.
Marcela Yubeta
BS in Public Health, Global Health track
Marcela Yubeta has shown outstanding passion and commitment in support of both the regional and national response to COVID-19. She graduates this spring with a BS in Public Health with an emphasis in Global Health, and minors in Spanish and Nutritional Sciences. Originally from Nogales, Arizona, Marcela brings her passion to help others to her work with community service and research projects in Southern Arizona. She has given her time and talent to the national PreventCOVIDU study, the AZCOVIDTXT project in Arizona, and the Child Health and Resiliency Mastery (CHARM) program.
The PreventCOVIDU research study tracks 12,000 students nationally from 20 universities, including UArizona, to better understand the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines in this college student cohort. As a member of the Youth Advisory Board for PreventCOVIDU, Marcela provides student leadership and guidance. The study aims to determine whether vaccinated young adults can still shed the virus. Marcela’s personal goal for this project is to contribute toward the recruitment of more diverse participants. This is important to her since UArizona is a Hispanic Serving Institution and she has family members in Mexico and the United States that have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It's just great seeing all these students and staff members wanting to get everyone vaccinated, and to join this study to answer whether vaccinated people can spread the virus,” says Marcela. She feels confident in the success of this study, encouraged that students can have a voice in the COVID-19 response, and pleased that universities can collaborate with each other for the common good.
Marcela also works as an intern with the AZCOVIDTXT project, a text-based communication platform that gathers and delivers COVID-19 information to support the community. To guide COVID communication, she reviews research and creates graphics the spread timely public health messages about COVID-19 resources, best practices, and policies in Arizona. The AZCOVIDTXT team inspires Marcela through their collaborative dedication to ending COVID-19. In addition, Marcela also supports the Wildcat Wellcheck program, the university’s text-based platform to report any COVID symptoms or exposures among students and staff to reduce the transmission of the virus. She created content for Wildcat Wellcheck and coordinated focus groups with students to analyze the accessibility of use.
Dr. Kacey Ernst, one of the leads for AZCOVIDTXT, says “Marcela has done a tremendous job for us. She’s created so many social media graphics, she’s so creative, she’s so dedicated. The project would not be happening without her!”
Alongside her many other projects, Marcela volunteers for the non-profit Child Health & Resiliency Mastery (CHARM) program in Southern Arizona. Guided by the leadership of Dr. Heidi Pottinger, a clinical research director and an adjunct lecturer for the Zuckerman College of Public Health, CHARM provides evidence-based approaches for strengthening child and family resiliency in health-promoting ways.
Marcela coordinated virtual CHARM workshops that were available to health workers and the community. She also learned a lot about empowering children and families using strength and resilience tools by assisting in social and emotional learning activities for children to recognize and manage their own ability to lead healthier lives. Marcela also supported media messaging for CHARM, and this summer she will conduct program evaluation through qualitative and quantitative surveys.
Marcella plans to take a gap year to work and gain experience, then return for her Masters in Public Health degree. The College of Public Health is honored to have supported Marcela’s education so far, and inspired by what she has accomplished during her time as a public health undergraduate!
“The education and experiences as a public health student made me who I am today and will always be a part of me. It is now my purpose to promote healthy communities, prevent illness, and protect people from diseases in any way that I can,” says Marcela, “I will continue aiming to improve health and achieve health equity for all people worldwide.”
The College of Public Health is honored to have supported Marcela’s education so far, and all of us are inspired by what she has accomplished during her time as a public health undergraduate. Congratulations, Marcela!
