Evelyn Garcia

My name is Evelyn Garcia and I recently graduated from UNLV with a degree in Biological Science and a minor in both Psychology and Neuroscience.

As a pre-med student, we are praised for our long study hours and are quick to adopt a “hustle” mentality. Despite a good start, it took a turn in the summer of 2015 when I lost my boyfriend to suicide. My mental health journey was one I never asked for but thankful that I got. I learned that depression does not discriminate. The only thing more exhausting than being depressed is pretending that you’re not. I spent the next 7 years creating the most unstructured premed life for myself. A life that is filled with experiences instead of classrooms. I created a life that gave me a love for the outdoors, travel, and slowing down. My health and wellness became my main priority and as I walked across the stage 2 months ago it still remains that way. I hope to inspire more young people to look past stigma and reach out when they need help. Be proud of how far you have come and despite the hardest days of your life, decide to stay.

As of right now I currently run a tutoring nonprofit called Lvfreetutoring here in Las Vegas, work as CNA and hope to apply to medical school in the next couple of years.