Hello everyone! I’m Austin Tarumoto (they/them). I graduated with a Global Disease Biology major and a Community Development minor in Spring of 2020. I was first interested in the major because of how interdisciplinary it was and how it allowed me to explore my interest in the intersection of advocacy, social justice, and public health. While at Davis, I was a tutor, a peer educator at the Cross Cultural Center, and the Identity Development Coordinator with BRIDGE: Pilipinx Outreach and Retention at the Student Recruitment and Retention Center. Community building and student organizing meant a lot to me as a student, and it gave me the skills to advocate with the various communities I serve and am part of. I definitely struggled with my mental health in my undergraduate years, and I am so thankful for the GDB advisors for being so patient, understanding, and supportive. Without them, I don’t think I would have been able to finish my degree.

Since graduating, I have worked in a Federally Qualified Health Center as a Health Educator, providing HIV and STI testing and counseling in the sexual health department. I then got my MPH from George Washington University, where I focused a large part of my degree on HIV care and prevention programming. I am currently working for Sacramento County Public Health’s Sexual Health Promotion Unit, where I conduct follow-up and linkage to care for those who have recently tested positive for syphilis and HIV. I also recently became a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), and I hope to continue to work in the sexual health field in the years to come. I feel like the GDB program not only prepared me for graduate school and the workforce, but also gave me the tools to be a more critical public health thinker and professional. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want to connect: adtarumoto@gmail.com