The Pomona Prehealth Liaisons are a dynamic student-led group that serves the Pomona Prehealth community. Our Liaisons serve as mentors and community builders for students on the Prehealth track. The Liaisons host relevant health career events including medical school visits, panels with medical schools, and healthcare seminars. They also host Prehealth community building events such as a welcome-back social, de-stress hang-outs, and pre-registration schedule planning. The Prehealth Liaisons build strong connections through their mentorship program for first-year students and advising students in one-on-one meetings. Reach out to them at pomonahealth@gmail.com.
You can follow the Prehealth Liaisons on social media!
Instagram: @pomonaprehealth
Facebook Page: Pomona Pre-Health Liaisons
Facebook Group: Pomona Pre-Health Community
Ava Spiegler ’26
Ava Spiegler is a senior from the Bay Area, but she's lived all around the world. She's majoring in chemistry and is interested in pursuing a PhD to eventually enter the field of medical biotechnology. Ava is particularly fascinated by gene therapy and cancer research and is hoping to gain more experience in those fields during her time at Pomona. Alongside being a Prehealth Liaison, Ava is a Chemistry Liaison and a mentor/grader for a variety of chemistry courses. Outside of school, Ava loves spending time with friends and family, reading, working out, and traveling!
JJ Hoffman ’26
JJ is a senior from Los Angeles majoring in public policy analysis with a concentration in biology. Inspired by his ID1, “Science and the Public’s Health” and his participation in Health Bridges, he is interested in the intersection of medicine, health care, and public policy at the local community level, but also at county, state, and federal levels. JJ is interested in potentially pursuing an MD/MPP or MD/MPH dual degree, in addition to understanding how policy affects public health through environmental and transportation lenses. Outside of being a Prehealth Liaison and Health Bridges member, JJ is a leader in the Claremont Running Club and is a chemistry mentor. In his spare time, JJ enjoys reading and playing board games with friends.
Ivyer Qu ’26
Ivyer is a senior from Kansas, currently residing in Orange County, majoring in neuroscience and minoring in computer science. She is interested in medical school and potentially PhD programs in computational neuroscience. Ivyer conducts theoretical neuroscience research on how the brain computes using neural network models. After working as a certified nurse assistant in long-term care units, Ivyer is also interested in advocating patient-centered care for memory care patients and the elderly. Outside of class, Ivyer can be found baking challah in the Frary kitchen, journaling, or weightlifting in the CARW.
Andrew Butler ’26
Andy is a senior from Boston, Massachusetts, majoring in Chemistry and a member of the Sagehen football team. Although initially focused on pursuing an MD, his summer 2024 internship ignited an interest in medicinal chemistry as an alternative pathway to contributing to the field of healthcare. In addition to serving as a Prehealth Liaison, Andy is a chemistry liaison, student mentor, founder of the SHYFT youth club, and a student athletic trainer. Outside of school, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, weightlifting, and watching movies.
Hanyi Joh '26
Hanyi is from the Coachella Valley and transferred to Pomona College last fall. He is dedicated to becoming a physician in the Inland Empire to help address the region’s physician shortage. At Pomona, Hanyi is majoring in molecular biology and this summer, he discovered a passion for clinical research, which he plans to pursue alongside his path to medicine. In addition to serving as a Prehealth Liaison, Hanyi is a board member of the Korean Students Association, chemistry mentor, LINC volunteer, and volunteer at a local VA clinic. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, spending time with friends and family, and playing New York Times games.
Tamarah Al Mozani '27
Tamarah Al Mozani, originally from Connecticut, is pursuing a major in Neuroscience with a strong aspiration to become a surgeon, particularly in the field of neurosurgery. She has immense interest in exploring the latest trends in neuroscience, and understanding how they intersect with psychological sciences in addition to the broader aspects of healthcare. Beyond her academic pursuits, Tamarah is actively involved as a Liaison, researcher, tutor, hospital volunteer, and works with the athletic department. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, reading, practicing Pilates and yoga, and cooking.
Eva Chen '27
Eva is a junior from Orange County who is interested in majoring in chemistry and minoring in music. She is passionate about biochemistry research, which she began through the 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), and she aims to pursue an MD degree, specializing in pathology or hematology/oncology. In addition to being a Prehealth Liaison, she also serves as a chemistry liaison and is dedicated to volunteering with on-campus organizations, mentoring younger students in music, and guiding Claremont and Pomona families in public health. Outside of academics, she enjoys performing with the Pomona College Orchestra, attending Oldenborg language tables, and exploring Los Angeles.
Gerard Lapuente '27
Gerard is a junior from Miami, Florida, majoring in psychological science and planning to minor in Asian American studies. His interests lie in exploring the intersection of mental health and medical care. He plans to pursue an MD/PhD degree and work in psychiatry as a physician-scientist, inspired by his experiences as a Certified Nursing Assistant and student researcher. Gerard is committed to addressing healthcare disparities in underserved communities, ensuring that quality care is accessible to all. He seeks to expand his experience in research and clinical settings to better understand patient care. Beyond being a Prehealth Liaison, Gerard is a Posse Scholar, FLI Mentor, APIA Scholar, QSC Partner, 5Cs Kasama President, and FLI Academic and Professional Affairs Subcommittee Lead. Outside academics, Gerard enjoys spending time with friends and family, trying different foods, exploring new places, indulging in arts and crafts, watching fictional films and shows, and reading.
Cody Feng '28
Cody is a sophomore from the Bay Area, majoring in molecular biology on the prehealth track. He’s interested in pursuing an MD and specializing in cardiology or PM&R. Due to his experience in teaching, he is hoping to combine both medicine and education to reduce misinformation and accurately inform others about healthcare. Currently, Cody is involved in research, volunteering at the hospital and hospice, interning at the AARC, serving as an TA/mentor in biology and chemistry, and tutoring kids online. In his free time, he enjoys working out, playing badminton, and window shopping.
Kate Levy '28
Kate is a sophomore from New Hampshire majoring in neuroscience with a minor in French. She plans to attend medical school and is particularly interested in surgery. Informed by her background as an athlete and her summer researching a new cognitive intervention for Crohn’s disease patients with insomnia, Kate also hopes to explore the neurological mechanisms underlying chronic pain. In addition to being a Prehealth Liaison, Kate is a biology mentor, a student athletic trainer, and a member of the 5C EMS Club. Outside of academics, she loves to ski, mountain bike, and play Bananagrams.
Ella Grouws '28
Ella is a sophomore from Decorah, Iowa double majoring in biology and German. Growing up in rural America, she witnessed numerous dental practices close their doors for good due to the shortage of dentists returning to small towns. Ella is pursuing a DDS in hopes of bringing back accessible dental care to these areas. During her gap year, she worked in Germany as a dental assistant and saw how universal health insurance, dental included, directly contributed a healthier public. This experience sparked an interest in public health policy which she hopes to pursue further. Outside of being a Prehealth Liaison, Ella is the treasurer of the First-gen/Low Income (FLI) Club, a resident at Oldenborg, a player and part of leadership for the Claremont Foxes Rugby Club, a volunteer with INSAN for humanity, and a biology mentor. In her spare time, Ella enjoys singing karaoke with strangers and searching for knickknacks in the clearance section of TJ Maxx.