Brenda Aguirre is a Nurse Practitioner student specializing in Psychiatric/Mental Health. As a Registered Nurse, Brenda has experience working in public health, adult inpatient medical services, and pediatric inpatient mental health settings. After completing her undergraduate studies, Brenda was part of a research team at the Pediatric Exercise & Genomics Research Center at the University of California, Irvine, where she worked closely with a clinical nurse who sparked Brenda’s interest in pursuing a career in nursing. Brenda received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health from the University of California, Irvine and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Currently, she is working towards her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree through the University of Missouri.

During her undergraduate years, Brenda participated in various community events where she delivered health education, conducted health screenings, and promoted chronic disease prevention among racial and ethnic minorities. As a Jonas Global Scholar, Brenda traveled to rural bateyes in the Dominican Republic in early 2019, where she used her bilingual skills in Spanish to engage with community members and help conduct health screenings. In addition, Brenda completed a quality improvement project to evaluate a diabetes prevention project implemented at several bateyes. Brenda continues to grow her passion for working with underserved communities and hopes to continue building resilience in these communities. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her labrador retriever, practicing self-care, and exploring local coffee shops.