Gabriela Albavera

CHCI Health Postgraduate Fellow Presented by DaVita
Hometown: Bassett, California
School: San Diego State University
Degree: Master of Public Health
Placement: The Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee

Gabriela (she/her) was born and raised in Bassett, California. Gabriela grew up in an unincorporated community overburdened by freeway, industrial pollution, and an overall lack of public health infrastructure. Her desire to bring positive change through policy was reinforced as she pursued higher education where she began to realize that these adverse experiences could be traced back to a legacy of environmental and health injustice within her communities. Her life circumstances forged a fervent desire to contribute to policies that advance health equity and environmental justice.

Gabriela graduated from the University of California, Irvine, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health. She recently obtained a Master of Public Health at San Diego State University (SDSU). Gabriela is a recipient of the Green for All Scholarship and the SDSU Graduate Equity Scholarship. While at San Diego State, she interned at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services where she developed recommendations for improving patient safety and clinical quality standards. Most recently, she worked for the City of San Diego, where she was involved in community engagement and education efforts for the inaugural Organic Waste Recycling Program. 

As the CHCI Health Postgraduate Fellow, Gabriela looks forward to gaining a better insight into the legislative process to ensure that future policies address systemic environmental, social, and health access issues. She wants to learn more about how activism and grassroots organizing can impact the legislative process, hoping to bring this information back to empower her communities. She looks forward to networking, opportunities for mentorship, and leadership development.