My name is Micaela Macario, and I am a first year graduate student in the MALAS program. For those who don’t know, MALAS stands for Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences. I was born and raised in San Diego (Chula Vista to be exact), but have been blessed to travel all over the country playing collegiate softball. I spent my first two years of undergrad at the University of Central Florida where I loved people, but not my environment. I made the decision to come back home, and have never been happier.

Throughout high school and college, I have always had the dream of becoming a nurse. I worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant in nursing homes over summers, where I later discovered that I have deep rooted passion for advocacy, especially in healthcare. I also worked as a Care Coordinator for a startup home care business that truly believed and implemented culture-centered care. My goal is to one day revolutionize Western medicine by including patient narratives, cultures, and experiences into healthcare and treatment plans.

Beyond my academia and career aspirations, I am a huge sports fanatic, especially when it comes to the Padres. If you are a dodger fan, I will not hate you, but I might give you a dirty look every once in a while. I love trying new coffee shops as I practically run on caffeine. So if anyone has any cool spots, please let me know!

All in all, I extremely excited to learn beside everyone!