here’s what i’m currently up to:
- curriculum development intern @ charles drew university’s community health worker academy
- graphic designer @ bili beauty llc
- digital content creator @ inclusive therapy
- applying to mph programs
- bingeing the public health on call podcast, making charcuterie boards, and curating spotify playlists & pinterest boards

hello, and welcome to all things made by zerena! 
here’s a little more about me.

i was born and raised in the los angeles/orange county area, but had the opportunity to move up to northern california for college. i’m a daughter of immigrants from kerala, a lush coastal state in south india. i recently graduated from uc davis with a b.s. in biopsychology, a minor in public health sciences, and a newfound appreciation for temperatures below 70 degrees.

i created “made by zerena” as a space to explore my passions — without any boundaries.

i have been intrigued by the arts since i was very young. i’ve been dancing since i was five years old and drawing since i could hold a crayon. with years of practice and research, i developed an eye for the aesthetics and an appreciation for the arts, but for the majority of my life i was told that these were nothing more than hobbies.

as a biopsychology major, i’ve spent the past few years studying the impacts of the human brain on behavior, and fascinated in the field of epigenetics, seeing how behavior and experiences can in turn affect our biology and health. as i fell in love with public health, i witnessed how this nuance plays a role in members of underserved communities, who often face numerous social and environmental barriers that can shed years off their lifespans. the multidisciplinary nature of public health inspired me to seek knowledge from a variety of people, places, and industries in order to inform evidence-based practices and policies. i was also personally inspired to turn to my creative side, which i had for so long labeled as just a hobby, and use it as a means to empower and advocate for healthier communities.

to me, this meant using graphic design as an instrument to improve health literacy and equity. design is so much more than making things look pretty; it has become a means for me to amplify ideas and the people behind them. more recently, i discovered my interest in learning ux design and applying it to the digital healthcare space. i’m excited to continue learning how to break boundaries by integrating these passions to build a healthy and just world.

for more, feel free to get in touch! contact me.