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Immediately after graduating from ����ֱ�� University of California, Jennifer Borromeo ’23 began a competitive summer internship with San Francisco Department of Public Health and University of California San Francisco (UCSF). The internship soon turned into a fellowship and then a full-time job.

Jennifer’s work in the led to a full-time 9-month at San Francisco Department of Public Health and eventually a full time job at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, where Jennifer now works as a research associate for the Center on Substance Use and Health. She supports pharmacologic, behavioral, and system interventions addressing substance use and related health outcomes.

Jennifer’s professional accomplishments came as no surprise to her ����ֱ�� faculty mentors, including Dr. Patti Culross, associate professor and director of the global public health program.

“Jennifer was always an incredibly motivated student and so her success in finding full-time work so soon after graduation in a field that matched her major was not surprising,” Dr. Culross says. “Employment with the San Francisco Department of Public will allow Jennifer to engage in rewarding community-based work as well as provide a competitive salary and benefits.”

When searching for colleges Jennifer picked ����ֱ�� over several larger colleges because it was similar in size to her high school with a big sense of community. She recognized that ����ֱ�� would offer her opportunities to grow both as a student and an advocate.

Jennifer found exactly what she was looking for.

“Had I gone to a bigger school, I wouldn’t have gained the professional development skills I have now. I wouldn’t have been able to carry myself so confidently, academically, and professionally,” she says. “I wanted to focus on my academics and on building my future career.  A lot of the things that I was a part of happened naturally and I don’t think that would have happened if I had gone to a big school. I enjoyed being able to connect with my professors at ����ֱ�� and other faculty members without hesitation when advocating for myself.”

Jennifer discovered ����ֱ�� at an admissions information table during a college fair at her high school, Raoul Wallenberg High School in San Francisco. Then, when Jennifer joined an AVID trip to tour the San Rafael campus, it sealed the deal.

����ֱ�� checked the boxes. In addition to studying in the global public health program, Jennifer added minors in biological sciences and health humanities as a freshman, then took a class that addressed social determinants of health which captivated her.

“Coming from a first-generation and low-income background, I saw the health impacts it had on my family and my community. To be able to academically articulate and examine evidence about the social determinants and the “Why?” was really interesting.”

Another influence in Jennifer’s career aspirations was her advisor and global public health professor Dr. Michaela George in the School of Health and Natural Sciences. It was Dr. George who advised Jennifer to focus on fields of study that she was passionate about, and who recommended that Jennifer pursue the SHARP internship.

“Jennifer is one of those students I will always remember,” Dr. George says. “She is one of a kind – involved, confident, intelligent, kind. She has pride in her class and in her major. She works very hard. She balances her life with a maturity that is way beyond her years.”

Jennifer was involved in campus life throughout her four years at ����ֱ��, starting with her first semester when she joined the Kapamilya club. Jennifer participated in the popular Friendship Games as a freshman then evolved into helping organize the annual Pilipino Cultural Night at ����ֱ�� with lifelong friends. Her senior year, Jennifer served as the president of Associated Students of ����ֱ�� University (ASDU).

Jennifer also was engaged off-campus. She worked with the Spahr Center on harm reduction outreach and served as a peer wellness center volunteer at Richmond Area Multi Services (RAMS).  The work gave Jennifer a deeper understanding and new perspective on harm reduction, drug abuse, and the homeless. The experiences also inspired Jennifer’s senior capstone project on mental health services – titled “Occupational Fulfillment & Satisfaction of Peer Counselors at Richmond Area Multi Services” – in collaboration with RAMS. 

Pathway programs like the SHARP internship and Population Health Fellowship, along with her degree in global public health from ����ֱ�� prepared Jennifer for her full-time role through in-depth work focused on harm reduction, substance abuse, and HIV care while giving her an opportunity reflect on her goal of pursuing a career where she could make the greatest impact. Next steps could include either earning a master’s degree and maybe beyond. 

“Overall, I just want to be in a place where I never stop learning and enjoy what I do.”