Tessa grew up in Murrieta, California with two parents that worked in healthcare. But it wasn’t until Bring-Your-Kid-To-Work day that she really understood what it was her parents did exactly. Ever since, she has developed a greater admiration for the love, care, and sacrifice that healthcare professionals put into their work.

Getting a backstage view of medicine has given Tessa a passion for healthcare restructuring and optimization. Currently, she is involved in BioKind and Bruin Health Consulting at UCLA, which gives her ways to apply her Statistics & Data Science major in health-adjacent contexts. Working with medical non-profits through these clubs has given Tessa some insight into how critical organization and data are to creating a positive environment for patients. In addition, she also volunteers for Patient Transport at Ronald Reagan Medical Center, which allows her to chat with patients and meet adorable newborns. 

Tessa joined Level Up excited to meet new people and help neurodivergent UCLA students build life skills. She hopes to extend the same level of devotion to her work that she observes from her parents. As a Direct Support professional, Tessa strives to uplift and encourage those around her through meaningful interactions.

As a retired caffeine addict, Tessa no longer explores cafes in her free time. Instead, her time has been dedicated to getting back into running - you might catch her jogging around campus at midnight sometimes.