快活林性息

March 12, 2020

Eirenel G. Eclevia, MMC Student Leader and Jenica Smith, Project Coordinator

Graduate and undergraduate fellows聽in the 鈥淧athways to Success鈥� program attended the聽15th annual conference for the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE)聽in Costa Mesa, California on March聽5th-7th聽with Annette Besnilian, Executive Director聽of the聽Marilyn Magaram Center (MMC).聽 Through funding provided by USDA NIFA, our Pathway fellows聽exceled聽at this year鈥檚 conference聽as聽they participated in various聽workshops and presented聽their聽research projects.聽 Among聽the students in attendance was聽Citlalli Garcia-Plascencia, a research assistant聽for the MMC聽who聽conducted research聽for the 鈥淐hampions for Change鈥� program (now 鈥淐alFresh Healthy Living鈥�).聽聽Garcia聽presented on the process of gathering qualitative data from focus groups and performing analysis to evaluate participant experience and perceptions of the 鈥淐hampions for Change鈥� program, in addition to the effectiveness of the intervention. For Karina Fuentes, Aneli Torres, and Kellie Fernandez, it was their first time attending the AAHEE conference and presenting research that highlighted the intervention efforts of the 鈥淟et鈥檚 Grow Healthy鈥� and 鈥淐hampions for Change鈥� programs.聽聽

Another exciting highlight from this year鈥檚 conference was having one of our Pathways graduates, Guadalupe Alfaro Cabrera, selected as a USDA-Caminos Fellow as a result of her outstanding work. Cabrera submitted her thesis, 鈥淓ffective Ways to Increase Awareness About The Women, Infant, And Children (WIC) Program on a University Campus,鈥� to the 2020 Caminos Thesis competition in Food and Agricultural Sciences. This competition is open to any Hispanic individual who h