Jan G. Padilla

he/him/his

• B.S., Allied Health, Texas A&M University

I am from a small town in South Texas where the ethnicity is primarily Hispanic. It is an area that is not visibly diverse. It wasn’t until I attended Texas A&M that I grew to understand the importance of diversity and inclusivity of the student body. We are all part of a larger community, and I believe that increasing our awareness regarding both our knowledge and our ignorance, when it comes to diversity, can lead to growth. Social Justice is something that I too feel passionate about. Coming from a low-income family I learned at a young age that it is imperative that individuals and students alike receive equal opportunities when it comes to Healthcare, Employment, Housing and more. It is my personal goal to continue to have these types of conversations and to continue to build my knowledge to help advocate accordingly.

That being said, I hope to start spreading awareness and speaking on Diversity in the area of Mental Health. Often times students face stigmas regarding anxiety and depression. If I could make a difference there, I could possibly make an impact on the bigger picture.