Meet Carolina Quijada, Outstanding Senior

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Carolina Quijada, from Elk City, Okla., majored in nutritional sciences with an option in human nutrition/pre-medical sciences. She plans to support rural and underserved communities as either a physician or with a master’s in public health.

What is your proudest accomplishment at OSU?

My proudest accomplishment at OSU is being the director of the Student Government Association Multicultural Affairs Committee and helping student organizations promote their events on campus. I have made so many great memories through this organization, and OSU student government has shaped me into the leader I am today.

Who is someone who impacted you as a leader?

Scott King, College of Education and Human Sciences student retention coordinator, has been so supportive. He offers words of encouragement and truly cares about each of his students. He goes above and beyond to ensure our needs as students are met.

What have you been involved with at OSU?

I work at University Health Services as a student clinical worker, and I also assist Dr. Ranjith Ramanathan as an undergraduate research assistant studying glycogen quantification. I have served as a Human Sciences Ambassador, am a member of Order of Omega and am an officer of Phi Upsilon Omicron Honor Society.

What was a class that stood out to you as a nutritional sciences student?

One of my favorite experiences as a nutritional sciences student was taking principles of human nutrition with Dr. Hildebrand during my first semester at OSU. This class challenged me with a lot of information at a quick pace, but I stretched my studying skills, met with Dr. Hildebrand for office hours and used resources like the LASSO Center. This class was a big building block for all of the other nutrition classes, and I kept in touch with Dr. Hildebrand, visiting her throughout my college career to just talk about my plans and how I was doing.

What inspired your interest in rural medicine?

I am from a rural town, and since I consider rural areas the backbone of Oklahoma, I would love to give back to my community. Some of the kindest and hardest-working people I know are from these rural communities, and they should not have to worry about being able to find medical care in their area. If we further educate communities on health, it will only make Oklahoma as a whole stronger and healthier.

MEDIA CONTACT: Brittany Bowman | 405-744-9347 | brittany.bowman@okstate.edu