2024-2025 Scholars

MEET OUR SCHOLARS

Dheya Pillai is a current Masters of Public Health student (Health Behavior concentration) at UC San Diego. She enjoys traveling, gardening, coloring, playing tennis, and spending time with her childhood dog, Mushu. Dheya is passionate about understanding how South Asian communities are affected by the tobacco industry. As a STAR program scholar, she is eager to explore and contribute to solutions that address health equity challenges related to tobacco use. Her current project within the program focuses on investigating the inflammatory responses in humans caused by long-term vaping.

Lauren Medina
l4medina@ucsd.edu

Lauren Medina is an undergraduate student majoring in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health Sciences at UC San Diego. Born and raised in Chula Vista, California, she has a strong connection to her Guatemalan heritage. Outside of her studies, Lauren enjoys reading and spending time at the beach (fun fact: she is also EMT certified!). Through the STAR program, she hopes to explore healthcare through a cultural and humanistic lens. Lauren is particularly interested in understanding how tobacco use affects young adults, especially those in low-income and minority communities. As an aspiring physician assistant, she aims to leverage her bilingual skills to enhance her ability to communicate with and support Hispanic families in her future medical career.

Shantea S. Barnes, B.S.
sbarnes34@toromail.csudh.edu

Shantea Barnes graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) with a degree in Health Sciences, specializing in Community Health. She plans to pursue a Master's in Public Health in the future to further her education. A self-proclaimed foodie, Shantea enjoys spending quality time with her cousins. Motivated by a passion for community service, she aims to improve the health and well-being of residents in the Venice Beach and Santa Monica areas by promoting healthier lifestyle choices. As a STAR scholar, Shantea is eager to explore how underserved communities are disproportionately targeted by tobacco marketing and sales.

Shukri Aden, B.S.
shukrixaden@yahoo.com

Shukri Aden completed her undergraduate degree in Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy and Management Sciences at UC San Diego. She enjoys trying new restaurants, exploring scenic viewpoints, and spending time with her family. Shukri is dedicated to working toward reducing the incidence of chronic diseases among underserved populations through advocacy and improvements in healthcare delivery. She is interested in exploring how tobacco use contributes to the worsening of chronic disease and its impact on morbidity and mortality rates. As a STAR scholar, she aims to advocate for minority communities that are uniquely affected by tobacco marketing and use. Shukri aspires to become an epidemiologist.

2023-2024 Scholars

GRADUATED SCHOLARS

Bianca Shipp, B.S.
bshipp1@toromail.csudh.edu

At the moment, Bianca Shipp is dedicated to earning her Masters of Public Health. Her aspirations involve teaching or engaging in environmental health work, concentrating on the disproportionate impact on communities of color. As part of her involvement in the STAR program, she aims to investigate the specific impact of cigarette smoking on individuals infected with HIV/AIDS, assessing its effects on their health condition and its impact on smoking cessation efforts. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, attending sports games, eating out, and reading.

Janet De Santiago
jdesantiago@ucsd.edu

Janet De Santiago is a current undergraduate at UC San Diego and pursuing a major in Human Biology with a minor in Global Health. She is first generation Mexican-American. She hopes the STAR program will allow her to explore the unequal allocation of health resources within Latinx communities and the disproportionate effects of targeting by tobacco companies. Her goal is to investigate these disparities and discover evidence-based solutions to address them effectively. She is trained in long distance running and has completed the LA marathon three times.

Patricia Fischer Morales, B.S.
pfischermorales1@toromail.csudh.edu

Patricia Fischer Morales is from Downey, CA. She is currently enrolled as Masters od Sociology student. She joined the STAR program to be more involved in research and understanding the links between tobacco use and cannabis use in youth populations. She is interested in becoming a Professor and Researcher, contributing to the advancement of public health and equity. Patricia loves playing soccer with her family and has started her own youth soccer club dedicated to lower-income communities.

Paulina Munoz, B.S.
pamunoz@ucsd.edu

Paulina Munoz is a recent graduate of Arizona State University (ASU). She earned her Associate's degree from a community college and then transferred over to ASU to complete her Bachelor's in Public Health. She's currently enrolled in the Master's of Public Health program at UC San Diego. Her passion lies in advocating for tobacco and e-cigarette awareness. Her research interests through the STAR program center around understanding how vaping has affected high school teenagers, with a particular focus on her own community in National City. She hopes to work as an Epidemiologist at a national agency. Her hobbies include reading, drawing, painting, and embarking on exciting adventures with her rescued Catahoula Leopard Dog mix named Azula.

2022-2023 Scholars

GRADUATED SCHOLARS

Zinat Banjo, B.S.
zbanjo1@toromail.csudh.edu

Enny Banjo is a recent graduate of the California State University at Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). She majored in Public Health and currently works as an undergraduate research assistant at her school focusing on public health concerns such as the annual water quality and health disparities of tribal lands in California. Her aims through the STAR program are to create awareness about the growing epidemic of adolescents switching from e-cigarettes or add-in smoking.

Cristina Montano, B.S.
cemontan55@gmail.com

Cristina Montano is a first-generation Mexican-American college graduate from UC San Diego with a Bachelor of Science degree in Global Health. Her STAR program project focuses on mental health and the reasoning behind smoking addiction. She hopes to use the knowledge gained through this program to improve the health of her community.

Lenell Ellis
lenell.ellis@yahoo.com

Lenell Ellis is a former sales professional currently dedicated to education and community. She is currently a student at Grand Canyon University (GCU) and hopes to finish with a Bachelors degree in Human Resources Management. Her aims through the STAR program are to build the skills necessary to establish school programs that promote children's and parents' engagement in treating tobacco dependence, primarily focusing on inner city youth.