CHS Celebrates UTEP Top 10 Senior Kennadi Trevino
Published April 8, 2024
By Darlene Muguiro
UTEP College of Health Sciences
Kennadi Trevino, senior Public Health Sciences major and recipient of the 2024 UTEP Top 10 Senior Award, says that she won’t forget the circumstances surrounding the notification of her selection. The congratulatory email arrived during a transition in classes at her internship at Hornedo Middle School, and she ran to share the news with her preceptor – just so she could tell someone.
“It was toward the end of the day, so after school ended, I rushed home and opened the email. I kind of messed with my mom, pretending it was bad news,” she said. “But she was super excited when she read it.”
Despite the playful announcement to her family, Trevino is not taking the news of her award lightly. As a Top 10 Senior, she’ll participate in multiple award ceremonies prior to May’s commencement, but she says the most important job of being part of the group is the ability to represent UTEP.
“It’s really about the culmination of all of your hard work – all of the different things you’ve done that have gotten you to this moment in your life – and how UTEP has supported you,” she said.
Trevino, a Silva Health Magnet High School alum, began her academic journey at EPCC and transferred to UTEP as a junior. While her status as a transfer student at UTEP is not unique, Trevino’s meticulously planned path upon arriving on campus set her on a distinct track to success. Within her first semester, she joined the UTEP Medical Professions Organization (MPO), and shortly thereafter, assumed the position of secretary. In addition to her work with the MPO, she was also a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, known for their campus engagement and volunteerism.
Trevino says her choice of major was also deliberate, as she was looking for a degree that would ultimately support her career as a physician assistant and assist her in becoming a better provider, based on needs identified by the El Paso community.
“As I began to research the public health field and understand its focus on health disparities, I realized it fit perfectly with what I needed,” she said. “In our classes, we really dove deep into the factors that influence our community, and the psychology behind why people behave and do the things they do, the way they feel about their health. It’s so much more than just unequal access to health care.”
While managing her full-time course load and internship, Trevino successfully maintained a 4.0 Public Health major GPA, and is set to graduate with honors. She has been awarded multiple scholarships in recognition of her academic achievements, including from the Hospitals of Providence and Women’s Fund of El Paso, and the Star Scholarship. She is currently the spokesperson for the Star Scholarship and assists with the fund’s campaign efforts.
After graduation, Trevino will move to Midland to begin the extremely competitive Physician Assistant program at Texas Tech. While she hasn’t settled on a specialty for her practice, she does admit to having a preference for emergency medicine. She plans to return to El Paso after finishing the two-year program and would ultimately like to pursue a master’s degree in healthcare administration.
“I think that the master’s degree will help me rise in the ranks and become a healthcare leader, so I can help with providing better care,” she said. “But I also think I might be addicted to school at this point, and I just can’t stop.”
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Go Miners!
Photo courtesy of Kennadi Trevino
