What inspired or interested you about your field of study? 

I chose the public health - health behavior and health promotion major because I am passionate about alleviating poverty and finding solutions to health inequities.  

What did you work on during your internship? 

I worked with the Jackson County Health and Human Services HIV Prevention Program on various projects.  

One of those projects was the Syringe Exchange Program. The program works with people who inject drugs to reduce the spread of infections like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C and to reduce the risk of drug overdose.  

I also performed free HIV testing for the community, developed their HIV prevention and testing website and created educational materials on harm reduction strategies. 

What do you see as the greatest value of your internship? 

I had a great internship experience and learned so much about HIV prevention, STI prevention, the risk factors associated with people experiencing houselessness and the theories of harm reduction for people who inject drugs.  

The greatest value of my internship experience was helping run the Syringe Exchange Program. I enjoyed getting to know the people who access the program, hearing their stories and learning about their life experiences. 

What are your post-college plans? 

I am going to be serving in the Peace Corps as a public health educator in Guinea. I will be working alongside a community health worker on HIV prevention programs, communicable disease prevention as well as maternal health promotion.