While many college students head to the beach for spring break to unwind in the sun, Yonica Marbury had a different mission. Instead of lounging on the sand, she was knee-deep in saltwater, planting mangrove trees along Puerto Rico’s coastline. These trees aren’t just scenic -they’re essential. Their dense root systems stabilize shorelines, reduce erosion, and act as natural buffers against storm surges. In a region increasingly vulnerable to hurricanes and rising seas, mangroves are frontline defenders.
Yonica was part of UAB’s Blazers on Break program, a service-learning initiative that sends students into communities to work on sustainability, health, and education projects. Alongside other students, she spent her days hauling plastic debris from beaches, sorting recyclables, and helping build barriers to protect native wildlife. The work was physical, sometimes messy, but deeply rewarding. “It was easy to see how everything is interconnected,” she says. “The health of the environment directly affects the health of the people who live there.”
Her journey to Puerto Rico wasn’t a given. Yonica had long been interested in Blazers on Break but assumed the cost would be out of reach. Then she learned that scholarships were available—not just for tuition, but for experiences like this one. Student Affairs helped her navigate the application process and connected her with funding that made the trip possible. In fact, she’s now participated in two service-learning trips, each one reinforcing her academic and personal goals.
Yonica’s passion for health and sustainability has deep roots. Growing up in Huntsville as the oldest of five children, she helped care for her grandmother, whose chronic health conditions. Sparked Yonica’s initial interest in medicine and public health. She first enrolled at UAB as a Biomedical Sciences major, drawn to the clinical side of healthcare. But over time, she realized her interests extended beyond the doctor’s office. She wanted to understand how environments, policies, and social systems shape health outcomes—especially in underserved communities.
That realization led her to switch majors to Global Health, a field that takes a broader, systems-level view of health. Global Health students study epidemiology, environmental science, health policy, and cultural anthropology. They learn how climate change, poverty, and infrastructure affect disease patterns and access to care. For Yonica, the shift felt natural.
“Sustainability isn’t just something you do today,” she says. “It’s how we think about tomorrow.”
In Puerto Rico, she saw textbook concepts come to life. Mangrove restoration, for example, isn’t just about planting trees - it’s about rebuilding ecosystems that support fisheries, reduce carbon emissions, and protect human settlements. Plastic pollution isn’t just an eyesore - it breaks down into microplastics that enter food chains and affect human health. Every task she took on had layers of meaning, connecting environmental stewardship with public well-being.
Now entering her senior year, Yonica has built an impressive record of service and leadership. She tutors through United Way, volunteers with Girls Inc., and partners with the Birmingham Housing Authority to support mental health programming and access to fitness resources. Her dedication during the Puerto Rico trip stood out so strongly that United Planet, UAB’s community partner, selected her as an ambassador - a role that allows her to mentor other students and advocate for global service opportunities. She also works with the UAB Get Involved Team to recruit other students who also want to make an impact in the community and globally.
Though she’s still exploring her future path, Yonica dreams of becoming a public health educator. She wants to work in communities where health disparities are most pronounced, helping people understand how their environments shape their well-being and empowering them to advocate for change. Whether she ends up in a classroom, a clinic, or a community center, she knows sustainability will remain central to her work.
Whatever direction Yonica takes after graduation, her journey reflects the power of opportunity, connection, and purpose. Student Affairs didn’t just help her get her feet wet - it helped her take her first steps on a path she hadn’t known existed. And like the mangrove trees she planted in Puerto Rico, her impact will continue to grow - anchored in science, rooted in service, and reaching toward a healthier future for all.