All of the students featured in this section are graduating seniors who are a part of our second cohort of Advanced LEAP Scholars. Read below to learn more about Cat, Ivy, and Yucca's undergraduate experiences at UC Berkeley!
Catrina (Cat) Grimaldi
Major: Public Health
Tell us about your LEAP Research Fellowship
University of California, Berkeley
Research Translation and Dissemination for Youth Equity Projects: Innovations for Youth (i4Y)
I work with Dr. Marieka Schotland, the i4Y Executive Director, to create graphics that disseminate youth equity research findings to a wide range of audiences. This semester, my team and I utilized an iterative design process to revamp the UC Berkeley Psychology Clinic’s website to be more accessible and user-friendly. I am also part of the Youth Equity Discovery Initiative (YEDI) program, which is a year-long research apprenticeship and mentorship program.
What advice would you give future LEAP Scholars?
Make the most of your internship and research projects!
Ivy Lee Hung
Major: Public Health
Tell us about your LEAP Research Fellowship
University of Illinois, Chicago
Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science
My Research Fellowship was a continuation of my internship with Dr. Kate Merrill. After the piloting of the Floreciendo workshop, I helped transcribe participant focus groups and create summaries about the participants' suggestions to present in counsel meetings. We used these findings to improve the workshop, and we are now working on running these workshops in several community centers to assess how effective they are in reducing sexually transmitted infections in Latina teens.
What advice would you give future LEAP Scholars?
Don't be afraid to reach out for help and ask for advice. Use your resources and contacts to explore what niche areas you would like to work in. You don't have to be perfect to get started.
Yucca Phun
Major: Public Health
Tell us about your LEAP Research Fellowship
University of California, Berkeley
Wallace Center for Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health
I work with DrPH student Betsy Pleasants on her research project that looks at data from online communities, specifically reddit (like r/abortion and r/birthcontrol). I've been working on literature reviews, creating briefs from papers, composite quote creation, etc.
What advice would you give future LEAP Scholars?
Take all the opportunities you get! You'll never know if you don't try it! Also, do not stress too much because it'll work out.