I was born and raised in Hong Kong, but I chose to attend a small liberal arts college in the US because of the in-depth exploration of academic fields and the interdisciplinary context offered by a liberal arts education. I have always had a variety of interests, and settling on a major seemed impossible at first. However, after taking Introduction to Public Health in my first year of college, everything felt clearer. I have always been drawn to the medical field, but studying Public Health allows me to gain a broader perspective of health. By inspecting social determinants and policies of health, the Public Health lens looks beyond the individual level and analyses health issues at the population and systematic level. It also focuses on health promotion and illness prevention rather than treatment, a far-sighted approach which aligns with my personal vision. My path has become clearer after reading case studies and discussing global health initiatives, such as the polio eradication regime, in my International Relations class and in the Public Health Club I organized. I am passionate about health equity and I want to work towards diminishing health disparities across socially, demographically, or geographically defined populations. The field of global public health is especially pressing in this age of globalization, where diseases and health issues transcend borders. Modern solutions require collective effort from local, regional, state and international organizations and institutions.

I realized that my interests cannot be confined to any established major in St Olaf, especially since there is not a public health department on campus. Therefore, I have decided to create an individual major, incorporating courses from the fields of natural science, political science, sociology, and philosophy to obtain an integrative and holistic view of public health. I believe my major aligns with St Olaf’s mission of “St. Olaf College challenges students to excel in the liberal arts… and explore meaningful vocation in an inclusive, globally engaged community.” This major is highly interdisciplinary, which is emphasized in liberal arts education, and would enable me to explore the interconnected global community and its path to health equity.

The construction of my CIS major is based upon four categories - scientific basis and analytic methods; public health foundations; global/local systems and policy; and research and related skills. Firstly, the incorporation of natural science courses enabled me to understand the biology and chemistry of diseases. These courses cultivated my scientific way of thinking and challenged me to present my findings in a clear and focused manner. Secondly, I took classes to enrich my public health knowledge. These courses provided me with insights to contemporary population health challenges, approaches and solutions. They also inspired me to think deeply about the socio-economic determinants of health and the preventative care that addresses these health issues. Thirdly, I learned about systems and policies in place on both the state level and international level, as well as the cooperation that happens between these levels and the more localized community level. Last but not least, I have chosen courses that would enable me to obtain and practice research, advocacy, and related knowledge and skills so that I can further develop and contribute to the public health field.

I incorporated courses of various levels in my major. My major progresses from basic introductory level classes, which offers me a broad overview of the subject matter, to more sophisticated methodology, which allows me to apply knowledge that I have learned through research and tailored projects. The independent research or independent study courses I took also provided me with the opportunity to delve deeper into public health matters that are of my own interest. Apart from choosing from the diverse courses St Olaf College offers, I also utilized other resources provided by the college. I consulted a librarian to polish my research techniques and find out which databases are the most useful in the field of public health. I also made use of the writing desk whenever I sought advice on the papers that I produced for the major.