Well-being and Health Outreach Ambassadors

WHOA Public Engagement Team Leader

Sophia Dettweiler (she/her) is a senior studying Health Promotion and Disease Prevention who is also pursuing a master’s degree in Global Medicine. Outside of her work with USC Student Health, Sophia serves on the leadership team of USC’s chapter of Blueprints for Pangaea, a non-profit organization that reallocates medical supplies to communities in need to improve health access disparities. She also works as an EMT, math tutor, and CHLA research assistant, where she contributes to pediatric endocrinology projects. She is passionate about adolescent health and aims to become a pediatrician who advances well-being through both clinical care and community-based prevention.

Aaryan Midha (he/him) is an undergraduate student at the University of Southern California pursuing a B.S. in health promotion and disease prevention and a minor in addiction science. At USC, Aaryan co-founded SeeCing a Path Forward for Diabetes, an organization that teaches how to intervene during hypoglycemic attacks, raise awareness of diabetes, and prevent the onset of diabetes in Los Angeles communities. Aaryan is also Co-President for USC Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program, a non-profit dedicated to fighting kidney diseases by raising public awareness and promoting the early detection of chronic kidney disease. He is also involved with Blueprints for Pangaea, a nonprofit with the mission of addressing health disparities through the distribution of healthcare resources on a local and global level. In the future, Aaryan hopes to obtain a progressive master’s degree in global medicine. In his free time, Aaryan volunteers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and enjoys playing tennis, swimming, editing for the Daily Trojan, and spending time with his friends and family.

Chia Okwaraibekwe (she/her) is a fourth-year global health major at the Keck School of Medicine. She is deeply passionate about health care, health promotion, and health policy. She has volunteered and worked with physicians at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, conducting research on community health and organizing presentations and events that provided free health resources to families in the community. Beyond her involvement in USC Student Health, Chia has also served as a project director and consultant for the Southern California Healthcare Consulting Group, collaborating with the California Black Women’s Health Project. Additionally, she is the director of membership for the Pan African Student Association on campus, where she plays a key role in sharing culture and bringing people together. Chia is committed to making a positive impact on the world around her as she pursues her academic and professional goals in the healthcare field.

Dylan Crowley-Loo (he/him) is a third-year health promotion and disease prevention student at the Keck School of Medicine, with a minor in health innovation. He has worked at various levels of public health, including at the California Department of Public Health, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the USC Klausner Research Lab, and at Herpes Cure Advocacy. Dylan is deeply interested in the research of prevention and surveillance of disease, and has a goal of helping people stay healthy and out of the hospital in the first place. He is excited to help students on campus explore their health resources and learn more about how they can remain in great shape for living their best lives.

Eliza Nations (she/her) is a pre-med student at USC studying health promotion and disease prevention. Inspired by her journey with chronic illness, Eliza aspires to become a gastroenterologist with a focus on primary prevention. She believes health is shaped by physical, emotional, social, and environmental factors, aiming to help people achieve true well-being, not just manage symptoms. Outside of her studies, Eliza works as an EMT in both Los Angeles and San Diego counties and also serves as a Training Crew Chief for USC’s Emergency Medical Services Club, where she trains members and teaches EMT content. She is a student researcher at USC’s Spatial Science Institute, focusing on lactation room accessibility and availability. In her free time, Eliza enjoys pilates, learning Italian, and traveling the world.

Kaela Wong (she/her) is a third-year student majoring in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She is pursuing a career in dentistry and volunteers as a dental health education leader for the Spread the Smile Campaign, educating LAUSD charter school students on dental hygiene and anatomy to promote healthier habits and increase awareness on oral health. Kaela is currently a research assistant at the USC Mei Chen Lab, where she focuses on dermatological advancements in wound healing and scar reduction in treating chronic wounds. Passionate about serving the Los Angeles community, she volunteers with the Union Rescue Mission in Skid Row, where she helps serve meals to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Kaela is deeply committed to promoting wellness and hopes to bring her enthusiasm for healthy living to her peers on the USC campus.

McKenna McCallister (she/her) is a second-year psychology undergraduate student in USC’s Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. She is deeply passionate about creating visibility for mental health and making sure there are safe spaces available for people to share their feelings without fear of judgement. Consistent with such passion, McKenna has become co-vice president of the Mental Health Awareness for Education Staff (MHAES) student organization, which helps support staff at local schools have a better understanding of how to help students struggling with their mental health succeed academically and beyond. She will also be getting experience researching pediatric anxiety with Dr. Amy West at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, in hopes of finding which treatments may aid certain adolescents the most in managing their anxiety early-on. As a Spring Admit Mentor, she will help new groups of Spring Admits feel welcome and integrate themselves into life at USC. She enjoys volunteering with Community Helpline as a warmline operator, where she gets to talk to people of all ages, backgrounds, etc. and get experience talking them through daily conflicts or more imminent crises. She hopes that as WHOA she can help foster that same friendly and supportive environment for students at USC.

Pragya Bhatt (she/her) is a third-year undergraduate at the University of Southern California, pursuing a double major in Cognitive Science and Communication with a minor in Theatre. On campus, she serves as a Student Ambassador at the USC Admission Center, where she gives tours and shares her Trojan experience with prospective and admitted students. She is actively involved in Alpha Delta Pi sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon, USC’s international relations and foreign service society, and the USC Helenes, the official hosts of USC. Pragya is especially passionate about the intersection of media, communication, and healthcare, and how strategic storytelling can be used as a tool for advocacy, awareness, and social impact. In her free time, she loves performing in plays and musicals, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.