ATSU-CCPA students support Santa Barbara County families through CALM service projects
Posted: August 31, 2026
Students in the A.T. Still University-College for Healthy Communities (ATSU-CHC) Central Coast Physician Assistant (CCPA) program spent the summer supporting CALM, a community-based nonprofit mental health agency serving Santa Barbara County, through a series of hands-on service projects.
In May, students assembled 50 care baskets for Mother’s Day for mothers of children served by CALM. As summer got underway, they built 100 summer kits for children and teens filled with snacks, toys, books, and activities to keep them engaged and learning during the break. And ahead of the new school year, ATSU-CCPA students also put together 100 back-to-school kits.
“Being involved with CALM has been one of the most meaningful parts of my experience at ATSU,” said Gabriel Estrada Urrutia, PA, ’27. “When I became community outreach co-chair with Angelo Joseph Bulahan, PA, ’27, I saw it as an opportunity to further connect with organizations already doing important work in the communities.”
“As a PA student, I think it’s easy to become focused on the clinical side of medicine, but these experiences have been a reminder that health is shaped further by what happens outside the exam room. A child’s environment, sense of safety, resource accessibility, and their support system can have lasting effects on their health and overall wellbeing. Being able to contribute, even in a small way, to an organization working to strengthen those areas has made my education feel even more meaningful.”
Estrada Urrutia added that service opportunities like this align with the CCPA program’s mission of preparing PAs dedicated to whole person care in the communities they serve.
“I am also very grateful that ATSU has given us opportunities to incorporate service during our education. Seeing my classmates come together to assemble kits was rewarding. Knowing that our class hopefully put a smile on the faces of these local children and families, made the organization and effort of these projects incredibly special,” he said.
