Stephanie Martinez, ’11

Stephanie Martinez graduated with a B.A. in International Development Studies and a B.A. in Spanish. During her time at UCLA, she was an active member of Unicamp, the Alumni Scholars Club, AIDS Ambassadors, and Support for International Change, in addition to interning with the Venice Family Clinic and Contra-Tiempo Urban Latin Dance Theater. In 2010, she studied abroad in Granada, Spain.

After graduation, Stephanie joined the Peace Corps as a health volunteer in Cameroon. After her service ended, she attended Columbia University for her graduate studies, where she earned a Master of Public Health and a Master of International Affairs. After starting a career focused on gender, public health, and pandemic prevention research, Stephanie decided to pursue further graduate studies at the intersection of people, justice, and the changing world. Stephanie is now a PhD student at UC Irvine, where she is studying environmental justice and climate change.

Stephanie describes her experience as an Ehrlich scholar as a privilege and a continuous source of support. Being part of a circle of individuals constantly looking for ways to critically engage with the world around them (and hopefully leave it in better shape) inspires her to do the same.