Bricia Santoyo, PepsiCo Foundation Preventative Health Graduate Fellow
Hometown: Fellsmere, Florida
School: University of Central Florida
Degree: M.S. in Health Services Administration
Placement: Office of Representative Rosa DeLauro
Bricia immigrated to the US at the age of four from Guanajuato, Mexico and settled in Fellsmere, FL where both of her parents work in agriculture. She was the first person in her family to graduate from high school and attend college, earning both her B.S. in Sports and Exercise Science and M.S. in Health Services Administration degrees from the University of Central Florida (UCF). Bricia’s interest for the healthcare industry comes from living through her mother’s struggles within the healthcare system, and realizing the great need for more diverse healthcare professionals.
During college, Bricia participated in the Camaraderie Foundation, where she worked alongside two mentors and a group of eight peers on professional development via lectures, networking events, and community service projects helping the veteran community in Central Florida. Additionally, she also took part in the UCF Health Services Graduate Group Pod Mentorship Program with ten other students, working alongside two professors/mentors to build her professional network. While in college she also served as a sergeant in the Florida Army National Guard where she worked for the 164th Air Defense Artillery Brigade and the 690th Military Police Company.
In her final semester of graduate school Bricia was part of a small group that conducted market research for a medical lab technology device with the UCF I-Corps Life Sciences Cohort Entrepreneurship Program. Additionally, she participated in an internship with Florida Hospital and conducted a “Community Outreach Project” to investigate the current state of the organization’s community outreach programs, where she saw first-hand the need to improve the resources available for the underinsured and uninsured Hispanic populations. After graduation Bricia worked as a financial counselor with Orlando Regional Medical Center.
As a CHCI Health Graduate Fellow, Bricia hopes to gain experience in health policy and develop a better understanding of the legislative process. Bricia’s goal is to become a healthcare leader in her community, and make a significant contribution to health care by educating others on health policies and implementing effective leadership to improve the standard of care for patients regardless of economic status, social background, or level of education.