Personal Statement

Having two parents in the medical field and being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of eight, health and healthcare has always been an integral constant in my world. Though these circumstance were not by choice, I found myself intrigued by all I observed during the many routine visits to my endocrinologist, the long days spent at my parents’ medical practice, and through shadowing multiple surgeries in the operating room and navigating hospital administration procedures while launching a volunteer program at a hospital. Through these experiences, I developed an interest in disease prevention. This interest led to an effort to educate my peers about health and preventable diseases through the creation of a social health and wellness program in high school, which eventually translated to pursuing a degree in the field. Through my public health courses and professional experiences, I have discovered my passion for advocacy and social justice in public health.

This past summer, I interned with the Georgia WAND Education Fund, Inc. I was eager to gain exposure to grassroots initiatives and fully engage in an opportunity to understand and work on a public health crisis. The bulk of my work centered around environmental justice in Shell Bluff, Georgia, a low income, Black, farming community that was experiencing water contamination from nearby nuclear facilities. My first day was an insightful twelve-hour workday that consisted of traveling to Shell Bluff to attend a program launch meeting. A board member had recently passed away due to her third recurrence of cancer, and we decided to visit her family to pay our respects before attending the meeting. I will never forget sitting in her living room, listening to the admirable stories about her shared by her husband and son. Up until this point, I had often seen and read stories about public health crises and their impacts. However, to sit in the living room of someone's house after they've just passed away, possibly because of where they lived and the worked, shook me. It is an experience that I will never forget; one that has changed how I view public health and the work that I intend to pursue.

Through insights gained from experiences like working in Shell Bluff, I know that I want to help create better access to health and education resources through policy development. We need more public health solutions that are community driven and centered--Solutions that are sustainable and impactful with leadership that is transparent and accountable. I want to play a role in building innovative policy solutions that allow communities like Shell Bluff to advocate for themselves and utilize the resources at their disposal. I have the desire and drive, but I am lacking comprehensive knowledge of our legal system and its intersection with public health that would allow me to best pursue innovative legislation. A joint degree JD/MPH program would give me the knowledge, skills, and challenges I need to be successful in my pursuit to aid in health policy development.