Aimary Rubio was a Teachers College student who returned to her home country of the Philippines to do a practicum at Roots of Health—a non-profit centered on improving reproductive, maternal and sexual health in the island of Palawan. Prior to her placement, she was also awarded the Sasakawa Young Leaders Grant from Columbia University Weatherhead East Asian Institute to support her practicum activities.
With a background in Psychology, she primarily worked with the Youth Team to initiate a way to address the mental health needs of the teens and adolescents they encounter. Based on consultations with staff, she developed comprehensive learning sessions for the Youth Team on foundational psychoeducation, including topics such as how to provide psychosocial support to beneficiaries, and the importance of team psychological safety in mitigating burnout.
After completing her practicum, she continued her studies while doing a Zankel Fellowship at Teachers College. As a Fellow, she supported the non-profit Girls on the Run NYC in their mission to provide social-emotional learning programs for elementary and middle school girls across the city. She graduated in May 2024 with an M.A. in Clinical Psychology, and is currently pursuing opportunities in research or project management in the areas of health equity and community health. In the meantime, she is assisting a professor at CUIMC with a qualitative study on the lived experiences of Filipino nurses who worked in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic.