Alivia’s interest in STEM began at the age of eight, when she would volunteer at retirement homes as a piano entertainer. Through volunteering she, not only, had the opportunity to see healthcare up close, but also got to see the faces of dementia patients light up when they memorized the tune to a piece she would play. She conversed with the nurses and physicians that would treat the patients and found a passion for medicine. As her interest in STEM deepened, so did her music as well. Therefore, she is double majoring in both biochemistry and music composition at Southwestern University.
Throughout high school, she has also seen the struggles endured by women and minorities in the medical field which is why she started a pre-medical AMWA high school chapter. In doing so, she was able to pair with Walgreens to raise 4,470 feminine products for local shelters. She was able to raise money for women’s education in Africa through CAMFED USA Foundation by selling bedding flowers from a local flower nursery. She was able to create ‘need’ bags for local families with her district’s Health Director. Additionally, she had the opportunity to host her community’s first Relay for Life to raise money for the American Cancer Society. She finds joy in giving back to communities and passion in medicine and music. Whether she becomes a surgical gastroenterologist, a doctor without borders or a STEM cell laboratory researcher, her ultimate goal is helping people in need.