My name is Mariel Pagán and my major is Fitness and Human Performance at the University of Houston. I'm currently at my last semester and  I plan on continuing my education by getting a masters in nursing or going for the DPT degree (Doctor of Physical Therapy).

The things I enjoy the most are cycling, walking, rollerblading, playing volleyball, tennis and ping-pong. I also enjoy going to art galleries, musicals, and symphonies. I’m an outdoorsy type that enjoys spending my free time (when I have money) traveling. I’ve been to amazing places like New York, Seattle, Miami, Louisiana, Las Vegas, California, Paris, Mexico and Belize.

When staying indoors I enjoy reading mystery/thriller books like “Lovely Bones” by Alice Seabold, “Piercing the Darkness” by Katherine Ramsland and “Journey into Darkness” by John Douglas. I don’t watch television but find myself spending an enormous amount of time surfing the internet. When I feel extremely creative I paint contemporary art. There’s something soothing about mixing paint and letting your imagination inspire a new artwork

I love kids even though I don’t have any of my own. I’ve worked as a substitute teacher for a year and a half and taught every grade level. I’ve also worked for UPS (Operations Manager) in Queens, New York which I completely loved. I've volunteered at different places like San Jacinto Methodist Hospital and completed one hundred hours at a physical therapy clinic. I've also volunteered for the ER department at a hospital in Brooklyn, NY and It  was the most challenging experience of my life. It was very gut wrenching and hectic at times but I enjoyed every moment. Everyday was a new experience that brought new challenges. It was extremely rewarding knowing I helped someone that couldn’t speak or understand English. My bilingual skills helped make it easier for patients to understand what was going on during times of loss and confusion. I’m definitely a people person that enjoys working with citizens of all ages and backgrounds.