PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 20, 2026) – Opportunity often comes in unexpected forms – meeting the right person at the right time, or simply checking your email.
Jaycie Odella Youngblood
For Jaycie Odella Youngblood, it was the ding of a new email, with an application for the GET PHIT bootcamp, the Gaining Equity in Training for Public Health Informatics and Technology (GET PHIT) through UT Health Houston. The program trains academic professionals and more than 1,400 students recruited predominantly from Hispanic-serving institutions and HBCUs, while also placing 400 students in internships.
She applied, got in, and the rest was history.
A sophomore public health major with a minor in chemistry and physics, Youngblood has a deep interest in maternal and neonatal health, as well as HIV/AIDS research.
With their research, Youngblood and her team won the GET PHIT Summit Undergraduate Research Competition, where they competed against other universities in Texas. They were then able to share their findings with legislators and lobbyists who advocate for rural and urban hospitals.
“Our research was important in helping hospital stakeholders recognize the different roles they play and the factors influencing the Black maternal mortality rate,” Youngblood said. “As an aspiring physician, I need to know how to treat patients from all backgrounds and what different patients may need based on their backgrounds. I hope to change the world with my research by shedding light on the need for increased monitoring for Black maternal patients within urban and rural communities.”
Youngblood is also a student in PVAMU’s Texas Undergraduate Medical Academy (UMA), a program dedicated to teaching, research, service and professional development excellence. The UMA integrates leadership development, pre-medical science education, and compassion for the community.
Youngblood presents her research at a conference.
Youngblood highlighted how experiences through the UMA and School of Public and Allied Health have opened doors to opportunities that have helped her grow and imagine what could be possible.
“Dr. Andrea McDonald was our research mentor for GET PHIT and is a huge part of why we won the competition,” Youngblood said. “She has influenced me to want to pursue a publication and further analyze factors that could influence the length of Black maternal hospitalization stays.”
At Prairie View A&M University, that kind of mentorship is part of a larger culture of investment in student success, one that Youngblood says has shaped her confidence as both a scholar and emerging researcher.
“The School of Public and Allied Health holds a special place in my heart. This school has bet on me since day one!” Youngblood said. “They put me in the best position to achieve everything I want and more. I have been able to represent SPAH on numerous occasions, even being recognized by the president for my advocacy at PV Day at the Capitol.”
That foundation of support proved especially critical when the work became most demanding. Faced with a dataset of more than 300,000 entries during GET PHIT, Youngblood leaned on the strength of her team, turning a daunting challenge into a defining moment of collaboration.
“The most challenging part was trying to filter and clean a dataset with over 300,000 entries from women across Texas,” Youngblood remembered. “Without my group members, Nyla Holimon and Taylor Kilgore, I would have felt more frustrated and stressed. They took it upon themselves to modify the research methodology and quickly filter through all the data in 24 hours.”
Outside of class and research, Youngblood emphasized that UMA has also been a force of support for her personally. When you need someone to help you keep going, you can turn to someone at PVAMU, she said.
“The UMA has helped me become more resilient, not just with my coursework but also just in life,” Youngblood said. “They have helped me to not be so hard on myself and take everything one step at a time. When I feel like I am not doing enough, they remind me of all the steps I have already conquered.”
The support she has found here solidifies for her that Prairie View A&M was always more than a college choice—it was home.
“My mother teaches botany here, so I have been around since I was 10,” Youngblood said. “When I started my second semester of senior year in high school, I had an offer for the Regents Merit Scholarship. Dr. [Jasmine] Hamilton and Dr. [Catherine] Kisavi-Atatah gave me a personal tour of the campus, and I fell in love with the Public Health Department and the school as a whole.”
After graduation, Youngblood plans to pursue an MD-PhD and eventually earn a law degree. Her work in public health has shown her the need for stronger legislation and advocacy at both the state and national levels, while also reinforcing her long-term goal of opening a clinic that serves low-income families and expands access to affordable healthcare, especially for women.
For now, she is paying opportunity forward—through research, continued advocacy and a future commitment to making healthcare more equitable.
Her advice to other students is simple but powerful: Get involved. Make connections. Say yes.
“To anyone looking to get into research, make connections with your professors,” Youngblood said. “The faculty here love to elevate students and see them succeed. If you want something, you find a way to get it. Opportunities are no different.”
At Prairie View A&M University, stories like Youngblood’s reflect the culture of mentorship and support that helps students pursue opportunities beyond the classroom.
“PVAMU is the place where dreams are made reality because of the staff who work tirelessly to see us cross the finish line,” Youngblood said. “But make sure you check your email. You never know what is waiting for you.”
By Meredith Mohr
-PVAMU-