Growing up in Brooktondale, NY, I saw rural poverty daily. Through this exposure, I became interested in positively impacting the health of my community. I began my journey at Ithaca College majoring in health sciences, which I chose because of the program’s emphasis on experiential learning. After working in a hospital, however, I discovered that I wanted to impact my community by preventing health problems, rather than focusing on treatment. Through this experience, I decided to dedicate myself to the public and community health major. After graduation, I plan to work with low-income communities in the field of nutrition education.
The opportunities I’ve had at Ithaca College have formed me as a person and shaped my commitment to public health nutrition. I’ve had the privilege to be a teaching assistant for multiple nutrition courses, which enabled me to develop a passion for nutrition promotion and teaching. I also helped conduct research regarding the prevalence of food insecurity within the Ithaca College student population. This experience allowed me to kindle an interest in research and advocacy. Ithaca College has given me the experiences and skills to positively impact the health of my community after graduation.