Veronika Lozano. Provided photo.
What do you do when there’s no club on campus for people in your major?
Get your crew together and create one. Or, if you are Veronika Lozano, reinstate one.
Lozano, a senior majoring in biology at George Mason University, wanted to join the Minority Association of Pre-Med Students (MAPS) but discovered the group had been inactive since 2012.
So, in 2015, Lozano and her friends brought the group back with the same acronym and purpose, but with a different name—Multicultural Association of Pre-Health Students.
“‘Multicultural’ is more inclusive. Sometimes clubs don’t advocate for diversity as much as they could,” she said.
The new name and focus also welcomes students who aren’t just headed for medical school but may be pursuing dentistry or public health, as well as those planning to go to graduate school, Lozano said. The chapter’s main objective is to enhance the recruitment of culturally diverse individuals in health-related fields.
Her initiative, along with her dedication to providing the best resources to every pre-health student on campus, is why Lozano received a Spirit of King Award this year from George Mason’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Multicultural Education.
The award is presented each January during the MLK Jr. Evening of Reflection to those who have made exceptional contributions to the development of an inclusive learning environment through their work. She is one of three students who earned the award this year.
Since the group’s reinstatement, membership has climbed to 171 students.
With no other student-run organization like this one on campus, MAPS provides unique opportunities for members to make their undergraduate experience as meaningful and valuable as possible. Group leaders often bring in experts to speak to students and offer information sessions on how to apply to graduate school or medical school, she said. In addition to meetings, they hold de-stress events each semester and attend conferences as a club.
Making a difference by giving back to the community is also an integral part of MAPS. The organization provides students with the opportunity to get involved with service and volunteer projects on and off campus.
Mason’s MAPS chapter has been able to create a positive community that provides comprehensive student support, paving the way for future health care professionals.
Lozano, the only child of immigrant parents from Peru, said she plans on applying to medical school during the summer for the upcoming admissions cycle.
She would like to one day become a physician who will serve Latinos and other underserved populations in the United States.