About Me – Zora Bubala

I am a full time college student currently studying public health.
I am passionate about fitness and exploring the outdoors, and I am working towards building a future in nursing or sonography.

I currently attend the University of Nevada, Reno.
I have lived in Reno my entire life, and wanted to stay close to home for college, although I plan to move to California when I graduate.
I have been thoroughly enjoying my time at UNR.
It offers a beautiful campus, the ability to be close to family, and many nearby outdoor areas such as Lake Tahoe.
I started as a nursing major, then switched to kinesiology, and am now a public health major.
Although I do have a passion for public health and find my classes very interesting, especially the health policy classes, I have come to realize I need to follow my dream that I have always had: becoming a nurse or pursing a similar career, such as sonography.
I have always had a passion for helping others and want a career where I can do that everyday.
I hope to attend and ABSN program or a sonography program after I graduate with my bachelor’s, so that I can live out that dream.
I want a career where I am working with people and not sitting at a desk all day.
I want to feel fulfilled, and I believe a job in healthcare will do that.

I currently work at Helix Behavioral Services, which is a behavioral clinic that conducts ABA therapy.
This month I completed my training, which lasted two months, to become a Registered Behavioral Technician.
My company provided the training for me, having me do a mix of reading and in session with patient.
I then took my competency exam, which is three sessions with three different BCBAs (Board Certified Behavior Analyst that supervise me) scoring me, and passed!
I then took the written board exam, and passed!
In this job I work with children ages 1-14 who have been diagnosed with autism, in a one on one setting.
I conduct what is called ABA therapy during the session, which lasts 3 hours.
ABA therapy is an evidence based scientific approach to understanding and improving behavior.
It uses positive reinforcement to increase behaviors, teach new skills, and decrease harmful or challenging behaviors.
I have learned so much even in the short time I have been an RBT.
Skills I have gained include data collection, behavioral intervention, reinforcement strategies, patience, adaptability, problem solving, resilience, and time management.
I have also worked at the Desert Research Institute as a Robotics Outreach Crew, South Reno Athletic Club as a Front Desk Attendant, and the Vitamin Shoppe as a Sales Associate.

Outside of school and work I enjoy going to the gym, taking hot pilates classes, going to Lake Tahoe, going on walks with my dog, spending quality time with my boyfriend who lives in Fresno, CA, and doing crafts like diamond painting.
I care about the environment, access to healthcare, and personal growth.

In the future, I hope to get accepted into an ABSN or sonography program and graduate.
I also hope to find a job in a place I enjoy.
In the near future, I hope to gradate with my bachelors in public health this December, and move to California in January.
I also hope to move up to be at least a RBT 3 (the levels my clinic uses for pay and responsibilities) by the time I graduate from UNR.
Long term, I want to work to save money, buy a beautiful house on nice land, start a family, and then stay home with my kids to raise them.