CHCI – PepsiCo Foundation Nutritional Health Graduate Fellow
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
School: University of Michigan
Degrees: M.P.H. Health Behavior and Health Education
Placement 1: National Hispanic Medical Association
Placement 2: Office of Rep. Jan Schakowsky
The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Lanette García was born and raised in Chicago’s Little Village and Pilsen neighborhoods. She attended the University of Michigan where she earned her B.A. in anthropology, with minors in Latina/o studies and gender and health, and her M.P.H. in health behavior and health education.
Her passion and drive stem from witnessing the adverse effects of health policy and the health disparities that continue to exist in her community. As a graduate student, she interned at Healthy Schools Campaign in Chicago and conducted research on new health initiatives in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). She also helped educate parents from predominantly Latino communities on the food justice movement and on health and wellness policies. Most recently, Lanette worked with the Illinois Department of Human Services as a caseworker, where she received extensive training on Medicaid, Medicare, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) policy and served as an advocate for the community she worked in.
As a CHCI Health Graduate Fellow, Lanette hopes to fully immerse herself in health policy and gain a better understanding of the legislative process. She aspires to develop effective and well-crafted health policies that will address health disparities and positively impact that health status of Latino communities like her own.