Making Herstory

India LaRoda

As the first student to earn Cal Lutheran's public health minor, this aspiring pediatrician says, “It is an honor and a special moment that I share with Professor [Jennie] Torti, Dr. [Adina] Nack, and Cal Lutheran. I always had a burning passion for advocacy but never knew about public health's depth and relevancy in our lives.”

An Ardent Public Health Advocate
India LaRoda has always been a staunch champion of public health. In 2021, she served as a lead lobbyist for Population Connection and spoke to Congress about reproductive health issues, a time she refers to as “my proudest moment.” She believes her minor and major — sociology — will help inform her to better serve her community and career.

India completed her bachelor’s degree in December 2021. When she transferred to Cal Lutheran from Los Angeles Pierce College in Fall 2019, she planned to study chemistry, but her interactions with sociology professor Adina Nack, Ph.D. prompted her to switch her major.

“After my first email exchange and meeting with Dr. Nack, it solidified that both programs were the right fit for my passions as well. What I loved most about each program was the flexibility to research critical issues I was interested in while still applying sociological concepts.”

India believes public health can help create a better future for all, and she has already played a part in that future. She participates in COPE Health Scholars, a program that offers opportunities to directly provide patient care in hospitals in and around India’s hometown of Los Angeles. Her work with the program cemented her desire to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a doctor, and her mentor, an emergency physician, has fostered her growth as a pre-med student.

Finding Belonging and Unconditional Love
India chose to attend Cal Lutheran because of its small class sizes, the individualized attention she could receive from professors, and the strong personal relationships she could establish with faculty. She also felt it provided her with an environment where she could freely discuss her relationship with God.

“I felt my classmates and I were able to learn from each other about our religious and spiritual beliefs,” she says.

During her time at Cal Lutheran, India emphasizes that all of her professors have enriched her life both personally and academically

“We had a unique shared experience of learning during a pandemic and witnessing the peak of social injustice movements spreading worldwide. While there was so much loss and unpredictability, I felt each class was a safe space, and I credit my classmates and professors for curating that environment.”

India counts two courses as being the most “soul-enriching classes” she completed in her academic journey. Those were the “Sociology of Death and Dying,” which Heather Somple Anderson, M.A. teaches and “Children, Youth, and Ministry,” led by Colleen Windham-Hughes, Ph.D., M. Div.

“I felt a great sense of belonging, curiosity, and unconditional love that reminded me of what I feel at home,” explains India.

Her professors also demonstrated how she and her fellow students could apply their studies to assignments. She cites her capstone, which she completed in Spring 2021, as an example. Her project involved researching racism and reparations for Black farmers in the U.S., a project India envisions publishing with the assistance of Dr. Nack

Outside the classroom, India served as co-president of the AKD/Sociology Club, was a Culver Research Fellow, whom Jodie Kocur, Ph.D. directed, and served as a departmental assistant in the sociology department. Each of these experiences has taught her the importance of collaboration and service to others.

Professionally, India is interested in helping children, working either in emergency medicine or surgery, and she aspires to inspire her young patients.

“I always had a passion for working with children. I love their innocence, and as the future generation, I know their upbringing will shape them into the humans that will further progress the world we live in now,” she explains. “I hope as a physician I can do more than solely treat their symptoms but be a beacon of hope, positivity, and guidance in their lives.”

Pioneering Woman
In 2017, India won the title of Miss India America, which put her in another distinguished category: She was the first biracial woman to obtain the crown in the contest’s 25-year history. [Her father is African American who hails from Brooklyn, and his family is from Barbados, while her mom is London-born and East Indian with roots in Rajasthan and Mauritius.] That year, BrownGirl Magazine profiled India, discussing her win, which she calls “her biggest accomplishment,” background, and education.

Her time as Miss India America gave her ample opportunities for public speaking. India spoke to fellow students about the value of service and embracing themselves as they are. She served as an ambassador for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and provided in-kind donations to socioeconomically disadvantaged patients and children during the holidays. She also continued her reproductive health advocacy as a fellow during the Summer of Health, Equity, & Rights (HER) program and participated in research for the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

What are India’s plans after she walks for commencement this spring?

“I look forward to applying everything I have learned from Cal Lutheran and outside experiences with my next step in preparing to apply to medical school.”