More than 280 SCU students have been through the Health Care Ethics Internship Program. The Internship gives students the chance to explore firsthand important ethical issues in health care. In addition, Interns meet to reflect on their experiences, discuss classic and emerging issues in bioethics, and offer commentary and reflection about current health care issues and events. Many interns go on to careers in public health, biotechnology, or as health care providers.
Meet the 2022-23 Health Care Ethics Interns
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Christopher Arellano Reyes '23 Christopher Arellano Reyes is a Senior from Gilroy, California majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry and biotechnology. After his undergraduate work, he hopes to attend medical school and become a physician. He is specifically interested in the surgical route of medicine currently looking into neurosurgery. His interest in neuroscience stemmed from his current position as a research assistant for Dr. Laura Cocas’s lab where they are studying rates of change in OPC proliferation and differentiation when there is induced pathological neuronal activity. His current interest in health care ethics revolves around the topic of surgery, specifically the idea of teaching surgery and young surgeons performing surgeries for the first time on patients or surgical innovation where it is performing a new surgery for the first time on a patient. What ethical issues arise here? |
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Lily Eribes '23 Lily Eribes is a senior bioengineering major with a minor in art history from Gilbert, Arizona. Through the Health Care Ethics Internship, Lily hopes to gain a greater understanding of the ethical and social issues present across the healthcare value chain. She is specifically interested in the ethical implementation of genetic testing and precision medicine, and hopes to develop a strong framework for addressing these ethical dilemmas to apply in a career as a clinical geneticist. On campus, Eirbes is a member of the women’s club volleyball team and Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, as well as a student researcher in Dr. Lu’s lab. |
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Renceh Flojo '23 Renceh Flojo is a senior bioengineering major from Pearl City, Hawaii. In the future, Flojo hopes to be a physician with current interests in geriatrics, internal medicine, or palliative care. Overall he hopes to be a compassionate provider who meets people where they’re at and treats the whole person (Cura Personalis) with cultural competency. On campus, Renceh is currently involved in the pre-health fraternity Delta Epsilon Mu, EMS squad, and doing nanomedicine research with Dr. Lu in the Bioengineering department. In terms of health care ethics, he's interested in end-of-life decisions, autonomy, and the use of AI in health care, and hopes as a Health Care Ethics Intern will be able to develop an ethical framework that upholds autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice to his future patients. |
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Chloe Franzia '23 Chloe Franzia is a senior originally from Chicago, Illinois. She is on the pre-med track, majoring in biology with a minor in public health, and is currently a research assistant in Dr. Cocas’ Neurobiology laboratory. As a student of healthcare, she is exceptionally passionate about understanding the complexities of women’s healthcare, specifically in regard to reproductive medicine. She aspires to become a physician in hopes of providing compassionate and encompassing care to those in the most important stages of their development as individuals, especially those in desperate need of proactive care. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to partake in the health care ethics internship program with the hope that her own understanding and perspective will continue to grow and flourish. She firmly believes that there will always be more to learn, and is excited to take that next step in the journey toward becoming a responsible and accountable healthcare professional. |
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Joseph Guasco '23
Joseph Guasco is a senior from Davidson, North Carolina. He is majoring in biology with a minor in public health. In the future, he aspires to become a physician and specialize in family medicine or pediatrics. With previous experience volunteering in Ghana and Guatemala, Joseph hopes to provide culturally competent care to underserved populations, cultivate strong relationships with his patients, and develop his understanding of the ethical challenges of healthcare. Some of his ethical interests include international medical volunteering, healthcare access, autonomy, and palliative care. Joseph is excited to participate in the Health Care Ethics Internship, as ethics combines his passion for social justice, medicine, and outreach. He hopes to apply what he learns from students, mentors, and healthcare professionals in his career as a physician. Outside of this internship, Joseph is also the Vice President of the Volunteers Around the World executive board at SCU, a Health Professions Peer Advisor, an Undergraduate Physics Teaching Assistant, and a member of Beta Beta Beta, the collegiate biology honor society at SCU. |
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Raghav Gupta '24
Raghav Gupta is a junior from Chicago with a major in neuroscience and a minor in philosophy. He is pre-med and hopes to become a physician. His ethical interests stem from exposure to topics relating to free will, social theory, and neurology. He was first formally introduced to ethics in a neuroethics class taught by Dr. Erick Ramirez during his freshman year. Subsequently, he joined Dr. Ramirez’s virtual reality ethics research and is currently part of his research staff. Through HCEI he hopes to link his interest in ethics and philosophy to his pursuit of medicine to set himself up to become a well-rounded and informed healthcare provider. |
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Tisha Dee Hartman '23 Tisha Hartman is a junior from San Jose, California majoring in neuroscience with a minor in biology. Her goal is to become a psychiatrist specializing in trauma recovery, addiction and severe psychiatric disorders. Tisha’s ethical interests include understanding the intersectional impacts of poverty and multigenerational family trauma, and how societal stigma and institutional biases around mental illness and addiction can impact the levels of care and treatment outcomes for underserved populations. Through HCEI, she hopes to gain a better understanding of these ethical disparities so that she can carry that forward in her own practice one day, while also being an advocate in the community for institutional change. On campus Tisha is the president of the Commuter Student Union, former Cowell Center Student Board Member and former Grief and Crisis Training Liaison for the Cowell Center. She is active in the Lead Scholars Program and a member of the Honors Program. Off campus, she works at a substance abuse rehabilitation center for women and their dependent children and is a volunteer sub-committee board member for California’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission working to make public transportation more affordable for students and underserved communities. |
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Shelby Jennett '24 Shelby Jennett is a junior neuroscience major and philosophy minor from Sunnyvale, California. Shelby currently does research with Dr. Erick Ramirez at SCU surrounding the ethics of representational intersectionality, autonomy, and sexual harassment in virtual reality. She also does polymer chemistry research in Dr. Eric Tillman’s lab and is an organic chemistry lab TA. Outside of SCU, Shelby is a medical assistant at a facial plastics and eyelid surgery clinic and a volunteer at Planned Parenthood. Driven by a desire to address inequities in women’s healthcare, Shelby hopes to pursue a career in medicine that is focused on women’s healthcare and reproductive justice. She is excited to gain ethical knowledge in this field of study and think critically about her own ethical framework during her time as a healthcare ethics intern. |
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Katelyn John '23 Katelyn John is a junior from Newport Beach, CA majoring in neuroscience. She hopes to pursue medicine in the future and is interested in surgical specialties, particularly neurosurgery. She is interested in the ethics of dementia and self-determination, euthanasia, and patient autonomy. Through the HCEI program, she hopes to learn how to sensitively solve ethical dilemmas while being a compassionate doctor. On campus, she helps support kids and teenagers affected by a parent’s cancer in her Teen Leadership Coordinator position in Kesem at SCU. She also promotes increased access to neurosurgical care as secretary for the SCU Mission: Brain club. |
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Noah Kuehn '23 Noah Kuehn is a senior from Palo Alto, CA. He is majoring in biomedical engineering with a concentration in biomolecular engineering. Noah looks forward to the internship as an opportunity to dive deeper into specific healthcare dilemmas. He hopes to apply what he has learned from the internship in a future career in drug development and clinical trials. Noah is interested in the ethics of resource allocation, such as public funding based on disease burden, and research incentivisation, for example through the Orphan Drug designation. On campus, Noah volunteers as a certified EMT with SCU EMS. Outside of SCU, he currently researches molecular spectroscopy applications.
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Francis Lai '24 Francis Lai is a junior majoring in public health from Cupertino, CA. He is excited to join the Health Care Ethics Internship and engage in ethical discussions with his peers and experts in bioethics. In the future, he hopes to be a physician's associate or nurse practitioner who works to support the most marginalized communities. Francis believes developing his ethical frameworks is essential for someone who aspires to be a health provider and public health leader. His passion for addressing health disparities stems from his past work and classroom experiences in public health. |
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Claire Long '23
Claire Long, a senior from Sacramento, California is a biology and dance double major with a minor in chemistry. She is currently conducting public-health research as a Miller Center Lewis Family Fellow and is creating her first choreographic piece through the Dance Department. Outside of her studies, Claire is the president of Delta Epsilon Mu, the Pre-health Co-ed Professional Fraternity on campus, and is an executive member of Santa Clara's new Health Professions Peer Advising program.
Claire is passionate about medicine, specifically in relation to dancers. She hopes to help inspire a movement towards sustainable practices in the dance world that avoid premature injury and emphasize mental health awareness. Claire is excited to develop a framework and solid foundation for ethical considerations through the Heath Care Ethics Internship and looks forward to grappling with the ambiguity of ethics in practice. She hopes to become a more insightful, ethically-focused, and compassionate future health care worker. |
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Lexi McGowan '23
Lexi McGowan is a senior originally from Bellingham, Washington, double majoring in biology and public health, with a minor in chemistry. After graduation, she is planning to work as a scribe and apply to medical school, with interests in orthopedics and reconstructive surgery. On campus, Lexi is a chemistry tutor for the Drahmann Center and works in a biochemistry research lab. She has also studied and trained to be a Certified Nursing Assistant, where she worked in a rehabilitation and long-term care facility. This past summer she had an internship with Momentum for Health, working on evaluating and creating programs for youth mental health. Lexi is interested in discussing women’s reproductive health and rights, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and the advancement of technology’s use in healthcare. Through the Health Care Ethics Internship, she hopes to gain a greater perspective of difficult issues faced in the healthcare field from the experiences of various professionals and peers, and develop her own ethical framework, in order to be a more well-rounded and compassionate doctor. |
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Kyla Nuñez-O'Leary '23
Kyla Nuñez-O'Leary is a senior from Norwalk, California. She is a public health science major with minors in biology and Spanish studies; additionally, she maintains a focus in applied ethics. Kyla is interested in working at the ever-growing intersection of clinical care, public health, and bioethics. She cares deeply about advocating for vulnerable communities and their health care needs, especially those within hospital settings. Currently, Kyla is involved with SCU Emergency Medical Services and proudly serves as a lead EMT and Training Officer. She is also a member of Delta Epsilon Mu (a co-ed, professional, pre-health fraternity), Safe Sex SCU, the Healthcare Professions Pre-Health Advising team, and the Valeriote Goldman Fellowship. As for future plans, Kyla aspires to earn her Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology, followed by pursuing medical school.
Kyla is excited to join the HCEI cohort and engage in meaningful conversations about medical bioethics with her peers and healthcare professionals. She believes that this experience will help shape her perspective and choices as a future heath care provider. |
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Sydney Pattison '23 Sydney Pattison is a senior from Everett, Washington with a neuroscience major and a biology minor. On campus, Sydney serves as the President of Rho Psi Eta pre-health sorority, is a peer advisor and the Alumni Outreach Coordinator for the Health Professions Peer Advising program, and works in Dr. Brian McNelis’ organic chemistry research lab. In addition to her coursework and campus involvement, Sydney volunteers as a Crisis Counselor for the Crisis Text Line. |
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Kyle Pedersen '23
Kyle Pedersen is a senior from Seattle, Washington, majoring in Bioengineering on the pre-med track and minoring in chemistry. In the future, he hopes to work as a physician-researcher with an interest in specialties such as orthopedics and ophthalmology. Kyle is particularly interested in holistic care, transgender ethics, and end-of-life care. Through HCEI, he hopes further explore ethical dilemmas and gain valuable perspectives that will guide him as a physician. On campus, Kyle performs bioengineering research with Dr. Mobed-Miremadi, is a Lead Peer Advisor for the Healthcare Peer Advising program, and is the Project Director for BMES. He also tutors fellow SCU students through the Engineering Honors Society and is involved in Theta Tau, the professional engineering fraternity on campus. Deeply concerned with helping others overcome racial disparities in healthcare, his senior design project focuses on developing a pulse oximeter that provides more accurate results for POC. |
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Liv Pruett '23
Liv Pruett is a senior from western Massachusetts with a major in public health and minor in political science. Her passion for public health and its ethical issues derives from an interest in understanding why there are so many incredible people in the health field, but very little integration across specialties. She is interested in health care reform, health policy, and is pursuing law as a tool for positive and creative change. She is especially interested in how toxic stress impacts the developing brain and reproductive rights. On campus, Pruett works with a law professor doing research on doctors' experience with abortion in trigger ban states; is in her second year studying the ethics of using virtual reality in anti-bias simulations; and is supporting better sex education and support on campus as an associate justice in student government. Through HCEI, she hopes to pull many of these interests together and gain practical knowledge of how ethical frameworks can drive decision-making in public health.
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Shelby Tadaki '23
Shelby Tadaki is a senior majoring in biology and public health. She is from Honolulu, Hawaii and enjoys crocheting and being outdoors in her free time. On campus, she is an undergraduate research assistant with Dr. Erin Schwartz and an active member in organizations on campus such as the Hawai'i club, Ka Mana'o O Hawai'i, and pre-health sorority Rho Psi Eta. She hopes to pursue a career in medicine upon graduation. Through this internship, Shelby wants to develop her medical ethical foundation and learn more about issues surrounding patient autonomy and health inequalities. She is also excited to explore new ethical dilemmas in practical applications.
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Oriel Zagazeta '24
Oriel Zagazeta is a junior biology major with a chemistry minor from Morgan Hill, California. He aspires to one day become a physician, with interests in cardiothoracic and cardiovascular surgery. In this position, Oriel hopes to make an impact in the lives of patients enduring such hardships. He greatly values the opportunity to use the skills and experience he will gain from the Health Care Ethics Internship to choose the best course of action in any ethical dilemma he may face during his career. In his free time, Oriel is also a DeNardo Science Scholar research assistant to Dr. Islas in the Islas Molecular Biology lab, volunteers as a peer educator for Italian, is a lector in his local parish, and is a leading instructor and black belt in Chinese Kempo Karate.
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2022-23 Honzel Fellow
Mary Francis Garcia '23
Mary Francis is a senior majoring in neuroscience and minoring in biotechnology. She developed a distinguished passion for bioethics in high school and further pursued this in college through the Health Care Ethics internship. During her time within the internship, she took a special interest in the topics of transhumanism, organ transplants, women's reproductive health, and surrogate decision making.
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