Michelle Garcia-Navarro, MPA, MA
Senior Director of Admissions and Financial Aid
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
Friday November 21, 2025
3pm-4:30pm PST
Workshop Description:
Curious how public health can amplify your path to medicine—and how to make UCLA Fielding a realistic next step from community college or university? Join Michelle Garcia-Navarro, Senior Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, for a practical, insider’s look at building a competitive MPH application and funding plan. We’ll map how your coursework, clinical volunteering, research, and community engagement translate into the competencies top programs value, and how to shape a focused statement of purpose that connects your story to population health impact. You’ll learn about degree options, common prerequisites, timelines, letters of recommendation, and how to present work and family responsibilities as strengths. We’ll also demystify scholarships, assistantships, and other ways students reduce costs while gaining experience. You can come, ask your questions and get answers tailored to your situation. Most importantly, come hear directly from the source instead of second-hand or bad information or people that have no clue about the admission process. Whether you’re early in prerequisites or preparing to apply, you’ll leave with clear next steps, a simple planning checklist, and confidence that public health can power your journey to medical school and beyond.
About the Speaker:
Michelle Garcia-Navarro has extensive and varied experience in a range of graduate school programs at large public and private institutions. In her current position as the Senior Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, she is responsible for school-wide recruiting, outreach, admissions and financial support initiatives for the school’s graduate students. Michelle works with students at all stages of their educational path and is committed to providing an outstanding experience to prospective and current students through holistic evaluation of their needs. She aims to educate and empower students to confidently make decisions on their graduate school options and on available funding mechanisms. Prior to this position, Michelle worked at the UCLA Anderson School of Management as Associate Director for a field-studies program pairing fully-employed MBA students with international technology companies. Her university experience also includes admissions and student services roles at the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and at the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania. Michelle holds a BA and MPA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA from the American University.
Register for Free:
What: Fri Nov 21, 2025: Your Public Health Future Starts at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
When: Friday, November 21, 2025, 3 PM (Pacific Standard Time)
You will receive an immediate email confirmation of your registration from Zoom. PLEASE check your SPAM or JUNK folder, as the email might be directed there. Additionally, you will receive an email reminder from Zoom ONE hour before the event, sent to the same email address you used for registration.
