Xanthia is a first-generation college graduate and passionate advocate for educational equity, healthcare accessibility, and community empowerment. Throughout her career, Xanthia has leveraged her expertise in program management, stakeholder engagement, and data analysis, alongside her ability to translate complex research findings into accessible, actionable recommendations, to improve healthcare access and quality, address systemic inequities, and create pathways for underserved communities to lead healthier, happier lives.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Xanthia grew up below the poverty line as the child of two disabled immigrants. While actively taking on a caregiver role for her family members, she took advantage of any opportunity she could find that let her further explore and develop her interests in advocacy, policy, mental health, youth and adolescent health, and community health. Her lived experiences with displacement and food insecurity have shaped her understanding of how financial circumstances, education, opportunity, community support, and accessible healthcare can profoundly impact an individual's health and quality of life. 

Ambitious and determined to build a better future for herself and her family, Xanthia saw higher education as her chance to break the cycle of poverty and achieve upward social mobility. Knowing her family could not support her financially nor did she want to place that burden on them, Xanthia made it her goal to go to and graduate college debt-free. With the support of community organizations, scholarships, and mentors who believed in her potential, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and went on to receive her Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from Columbia University. Her ambition and hard work paid off as she found a way to graduate both programs without debt through a combination of grants, scholarships, work-study, paid internships, and strategic financial planning. 

Having experienced firsthand the transformative impact of mentorship and community support, Xanthia hopes to pay that kindness forward by helping young first-gen students of color recognize their potential, navigate educational and professional opportunities, and pursue their ambitions with confidence. Xanthia believes in the power of relationships and is excited to share the valuable knowledge and insights she has gained to continue to uplift her communities. She believes there is no single path to success and hopes to encourage students to embrace exploration, seek support, and define success on their own terms.

What do you wish someone would have told you when you were in high school?

You are already so well equipped to handle what is coming your way - it has always been your mental fortitude that will carry you far.