Career Roadmap
Uma's work combines: Business, Environment & Nature, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Mathematics, General
California State University, Los Angeles
Graduate Degree
Bioethics/Medical Ethics
Loyola Marymount University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I grew up in inner-city Los Angeles, California.
2.
I come from a culture with deep-rooted values in typical gender norms, but I was more interested in what my mind could do if it was given the opportunity—I was determined to pursue my education.
3.
In college, I majored in mathematics and minored in gender studies—I did a lot of research on intercultural competency in the hard sciences during my undergraduate studies.
4.
Inspired by the values of my Indigenous family, I founded Urban Community Garden Collective, which transforms vacant lots in Los Angeles into gardens for a variety of educational and vocational uses.
5.
My interests also led me to question concepts of morality in medicine, so I decided to pursue a master’s degree in bioethics at Loyola Marymount University.
6.
Fueled by my interest in applied ethics, I currently do work with diversity, equity, and inclusion, incarcerated populations, human rights, and more.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
Your work is not going to make a difference. People can't change.
How I responded:
I've experienced doubt from others regarding the work I do with incarcerated individuals. People have misconceptions about incarcerated individuals. They believe these people can't change and that they're in this position because of something in their biology. In reality, many people are incarcerated because they've been exploited.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Leading DEI work during COVID-19 has been challenging. I'm affected by the loss Native and BIPOC communities are experiencing because of the response to the pandemic. It's been difficult to get others to understand that DEI work doesn't take breaks.