“Civic engagement has always been a part of my life,” says Micaela Gaviola, a Bepko Scholar who mixes her passions with education here at IUPUI.
Born in the Philippines, Gaviola moved to Ireland and then to the United States as a toddler. Throughout high school, she volunteered at hospitals on the IUPUI campus. “That’s why I decided I should apply to IUPUI,” says Gaviola, “There are so many opportunities to continue volunteering.” Learning about the Honors College through former high school peers, she decided to take a chance at applying for the Bepko Scholars & Fellows Program scholarship. Flash forward a few months and the civic-minded applicant would add “Honors Scholar” to her soon-to-be impressive list of IUPUI accomplishments.
Gaviola is dedicated in her pursuit of improving the health of individuals and communities locally and globally and has a passion for reproductive health. As a double major, she is working toward degrees in both Community Health and Epidemiology through the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health.
“My favorite extracurricular activity here at IUPUI is VIDA, which used to be Timmy Global Health,” says Gaviola. She currently serves as President of VIDA Health Partnerships, which is a student-led organization at IUPUI that works to expand access to quality healthcare and to empower students and volunteers to tackle today’s most pressing global health challenges. Through guest speaker presentations, Gaviola learns more about the ethics of global health and form a more holistic view of what it means to serve underprivileged communities.
Even if you’re unsure of what you want to do in the future, getting exposure to different things is important. Sometimes, your passion finds you!
Micaela Gaviola, Bepko Scholar
The Public Health student is a founding officer of the Epsilon Chi chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma, interned with the Life Health Sciences Internship program, and is currently a research assistant with the IU School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine Division.
Outside of IUPUI, Gaviola continues to pursue her passion for reproductive health. She interviewed to be part of a steering committee for Oral Contraceptives (OCs) Over the Counter (OTC) Working Group, a nationwide coalition working to push legislation expanding OC access. This past September, she had the opportunity to advocate for OC access on the Hill as an ambassador for the Free the Pill Campaign, as well as attend the annual meeting for the OCs OTC Working Group where she was inaugurated into the steering committee as part of their first cohort of youth members.
Her professional career goals include obtaining an MD/MPH dual degree. “I think it’s just important for a physician to have a public health background so that they can look at the social determinants that make up a whole person,” says Gaviola who eventually hopes to find a career in women’s health and reproductive health.
Her advice for future Honors College students is to be involved and engaged. “There are so many opportunities that IUPUI and Indianapolis offer you. It’s just a matter of seizing those opportunities.”