Get to Know Ana Belén Zelaya

Ana Belén Zelaya is a Program Manager at Healthy Futures of Texas, working with young people and their communities to create space for open, honest conversations about sexual and reproductive health. 

We sat down with her to learn more about her work: 
 

What drew you to your work? 

What drew me to this work is both personal and shaped by what I saw early on in my career. Growing up, I had moments where the right support made a real difference in how I felt and the decisions I made. At the same time, there were clear gaps in the information I had access to, especially when it came to understanding my body and health. 

I later found my way into health education somewhat organically, and it was through that work that things really clicked. As a health educator working with school districts and community partners across the Houston area, I saw firsthand how uneven access to information can be. In some schools and communities, there were strong advocates making sure young people received clear, relevant sexual health education. In others, that information was limited or absent, even when young people and families assumed it was being covered. 

Seeing those differences made it clear to me that access to information isn’t just about curriculum; it's shaped by systems, policies, and the adults who ultimately decide what young people are allowed to learn. That combination of personal experience and professional exposure is what drew me to focus on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. 

What keeps you in this work? 

Recently, I was at a community center in the Southwest Houston where I grew up, speaking with a group of Spanish-speaking women. Many of them shared that they hadn’t had opportunities to learn or talk openly about topics like sex, the menstrual cycle, and reproductive health with their elders, but they were there because they wanted something different for the young people in their lives. 

What stood out to me was that no one was placing blame; they were just naming a desire for information and connection. It felt like a meaningful space, and those are the kinds of moments that stay with me. 

What strategies have you found work best to meet young people where they are? 

In my role, I primarily work with youth-serving professionals across clinics and school systems, so a lot of my focus is on supporting adults who are working directly with young people. 

One of the biggest things I emphasize in my role is that while young people are growing into independence, they still need a lot of support, especially when it comes to navigating systems that are often confusing. Healthcare, insurance, even school systems can be difficult to understand, and that doesn’t magically become easy just because someone is getting older. I’m in my thirties and still find these systems confusing at times. 

One strategy I use to help is shifting the mindset from “they should know this by now” to “how do we better support them through this?” while still respecting their autonomy.  

How has being a Bloomberg Fellow helped you increase your impact? 

The Bloomberg Fellowship has been one of the most meaningful parts of my journey, and I say that now with a completely different understanding than when I first started. When I was initially accepted, I didn’t fully grasp what this fellowship would become for me. Now, three years in and close to graduation, I can see just how much it has shaped both my work and who I am as a professional. 

One of the biggest impacts has been the relationships I have formed. As an adult, it can be hard to build genuine friendships, and through the fellowship, I’ve met some of the most thoughtful and committed people I know. These are individuals working across the country in areas like harm reduction, food systems, violence prevention, and adolescent health. Being in community with people whose work intersects in different ways has expanded how I think about public health. I’ve learned just as much from conversations at a table with other Fellows as I have in the classroom. 

I also had the opportunity to lead my own research, which has been one of my proudest moments. Through fellowship funding, I designed and am currently conducting a qualitative study with Salvadoran women in Houston. The project explores how information from family, peers, and community shapes menstrual health understanding and care-seeking from adolescence into adulthood. This focus is deeply personal to me as the daughter of Salvadoran parents, and it reflects a broader gap I’ve seen in public health research. 

The fellowship has also provided a level of academic and personal support that has made a real difference in my ability to succeed. As someone who struggled during undergrad, navigating school without the support I needed at the time, this experience has been different. Between mentorship, tutoring, and guidance from advisors, I’ve been able to fully engage in my learning and feel proud of what I’m producing. 

How do you hope to continue to make an impact after graduation? 

After graduation, I’m excited to help launch and grow our Community Health Worker  training program, which will focus on maternal and child health. This is a new initiative at Healthy Futures, and a big part of the work will be building a strong, community-rooted workforce by training people who are already supporting their communities, as well as those who want to enter this space. I’m especially excited about engaging young people and creating pathways for them to be part of this work early on. 

I also plan to continue developing my research. Through my current project, I’ve been exploring menstrual health knowledge and care-seeking among Salvadoran women, and I hope to build on that by working with community members and health workers to expand to other Central American communities, including Honduran and Guatemalan women.  

I also want to continue strengthening connections between education and care. That could look like expanding menstrual health education within existing programs, as well as supporting clinicians in how they talk about menstrual health as part of overall well-being. There’s a real opportunity to think more intentionally about how providers ask questions, recognize patterns, and connect those insights to broader health. 

Any final thoughts as you approach graduation? 

I wouldn’t be able to do this work without the support systems in my life. The Bloomberg Fellowship has been incredibly meaningful, but so much of what I bring to this work is rooted in my upbringing. My parents, Bartolo and Lilian, and my sister, Laura, have shaped how I see the world. They taught me early on to look beyond surface-level explanations and to understand how systems and inequities shape people’s experiences. That perspective continues to guide how I approach public health. 

I also think it’s important to say that this work, and this path, can be both rewarding and challenging. For anyone considering graduate school or a fellowship like this, my biggest piece of advice is to make sure you have support. This work asks a lot of you, and while it’s meaningful, it can also be overwhelming at times. Having people you can lean on, whether that’s family, friends, mentors, or your cohort, makes a real difference. 

For new Fellows, I would encourage you to reach out to those who have been through the program. There is a strong sense of community, and people are genuinely willing to share their experiences and support you. The fellowship opens up so many opportunities, which is exciting, but it can also feel like a lot to navigate. Staying connected to others can help ground you through that process. 

And finally, I’ve learned that support can come in many forms. For me, that includes my rescue dog, Hope, who has been a constant source of comfort and balance throughout this journey. 

At the end of the day, this work is not something we do alone, and I’m grateful for the people and communities who continue to support me along the way.