Natalie was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, but spent her childhood and early teens in the small town of Momax, Zacatecas. When she was 14, she moved to the Bay Area with her family in order to escape violence and seek safety and opportunity. Adjusting to a new language and environment was difficult, but navigating the healthcare system as an immigrant facing unique barriers was even more challenging. Instead of letting these obstacles discourage her, she turned them into the motivation she needed to become fluent in English, gain admission to the University of California, Berkeley, and ultimately use her education to advocate for her community.
While studying at UC Berkeley, Natalie discovered her passion for public health and learned how accessible science, research, and policy can address health inequities. Her experiences as a Spanish interpreter, community outreach volunteer, and youth leader deepened her understanding of the barriers immigrants and underserved communities face and the importance of culturally responsive approaches to health. Since earning her B.A. in Public Health in December 2023, she has continued exploring these interests by working in mental health, education, nutrition, and community health. Through these experiences, she has learned that achieving health equity requires both systemic change and meaningful connections with the communities being served, a realization that still influences her career interests in public health, medicine, and community advocacy. Even though she has not yet determined her exact career path, Natalie knows that she wants her work to be rooted in supporting immigrant and underserved communities and on addressing health inequities at both the individual and systemic levels.
As a DreamSF Fellow, Natalie is placed with Urban Sprouts, an organization that shares her passion for healthy food, quality education, and community well-being. There, she supports farm programming, nutrition, and garden-based education for youth and families, while gaining experience in program development and nonprofit operations through administrative work. Through this experience, she hopes to deepen her understanding of how community-based organizations can promote health and well-being while developing skills to inform her future career path.
In her free time, she enjoys creative expression through dance and poetry, exploring diverse cuisines and cultures, and connecting with nature through hiking. She also enjoys simple pleasures like watching movies (Peaceful Warrior is her favorite) and coloring.
