After seeing the generational struggle of her mother and grandmother as single parents, and now her own experience as a single parent, Melissa Garza decided to pursue a career in public health in the first class of the UTHealth San Antonio School of Public Health. “I want to pursue a career in public health to help single-parent families in my community and support them in achieving their dreams,” she said.
Garza is one of two recipients in the inaugural cohort of the School of Public Health of a newly established scholarship fund created in memory of Dr. Fernando A. Guerra, who served as director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District for 23 years. The Saint Susie Charitable Foundation (SSCF) created the scholarship to support students pursuing public health at UT Health San Antonia.
Garza, who works at the Metropolitan Health District added, “I hope to expand Dr. Guerra’s work to benefit our community,” she said. “I aspire to bridge the gap between public health services and the needs of our community, ensuring that all families have the support they need to thrive.”
While first pursuing a career as a nurse, Alyssa Gonzales, the second inaugural scholarship recipient, had an insight that much of the care she and her clinical peers provided was managing symptoms. “I recognized that people in the community lacked resources,” she said. “I love that public health aims to address the social causes of disease. With this upstream approach, I believe that more widespread and sustainable community change can be made.”
The SSCF Scholarship awarded to Gonzalez and Garza will continue to support two School of Public Health graduate students each semester, ensuring Dr. Guerra’s commitment to public health excellence lives on.
Contact Senior Director, Development Janice DaSilva at 210-450-8701 or beccadasilva@uthscsa.edu to support the School of Public Health.
“As the first person in my family to attend college, this support is instrumental in helping me achieve my dream of not only earning a degree, but also making a lasting impact in my community.”
Melissa Garza
