Major: Health Sciences
Minor: Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities

Esteban Pantoja is an undergraduate student majoring in Health Sciences and minoring in the Study of Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities. Growing up in rural Central Minnesota, Esteban had always been interested in pursuing a career which would directly impact communities, especially on an individual-level. Combining this interest with a strong passion for the sciences led him to exploring the health professions. As a freshman pre-medical student taking a natural sciences-based course load, Esteban had an important realization. “I felt that the more science I learned, the more aware I became of how crucial public health infrastructure was in ensuring that science is as pragmatic and impactful as it can be'', he says. Esteban cites this as the reason he first decided to explore the Health Sciences major, saying he enjoys how it allows him to combine his interest in science while also learning about the important ways we can link it and the greater society.

This multifaceted approach to learning about human health is something that Esteban feels fortunate to have reflected in his Rice experience. This past summer, Esteban was part of a group of student leaders that implemented a diabetes-focused health education program for elementary school-age students. Through this, he was able to apply knowledge gained from his Health Sciences courses to a real-life initiative by designing and evaluating a comprehensive science-based curriculum for use in this program, which he and other students hope to continue in future semesters. While working on this project, Esteban also participated in a national biomedical research program at the University of Colorado, broadening his perspective of human health even further. 

Through Health Sciences 379: Internship in Health Sciences, Esteban was also able to earn academic credit for an internship at the Legacy Community Health’s Fifth Ward clinic last year. As part of this, Esteban worked to screen patients there for social needs and also connect them to relevant community resources. “As a student, we can sometimes get really focused on numbers and models and lose sight of the complexities behind each individual, family, and community”, he said. “Working with every family at Legacy was an entirely different process— realizing this was really important in order to be as helpful as possible to each one I interacted with”. Esteban sees this perspective as a valuable asset to take with him into the future. After graduating, he hopes to attend medical school and become a primary care physician. 

Esteban maintains a strong level of involvement on campus, as well. He is part of the leadership teams for Duncan College’s student government and Academic Fellows, for the Baylor College of Medicine - Patient Discharge Initiative, and also serves as a Diversity Facilitator. Outside of this, he really enjoys running on the Outer Loop, listening to reggaeton, and indulging in sweets with friends.