• Hometown: Livingston, New Jersey
• Specialization: Health Promotion

why uri?

I chose URI because when I visited during the new student welcome days I felt a sense of community. The URI community is one that fosters a sense of growth and opportunity among students and that’s something I really valued when selecting a University.

why did you major in Health Studies?

I was always interested in helping people and majoring in Health Studies gives me the opportunity to help make a change in population health through non-clinical experiences.

what do you consider to be the greatest strength of health studies?

I believe that the biggest strength of health studies is that you finish your degree with a wide variety of knowledge in a lot of fields because of the inter-disciplinary nature of the major. The Health Studies curriculum allows you to explore all the different facets of health allowing you to be fully prepared to enter a health related career.

did you complete an internship?

During my second semester of my senior year I was lucky enough to secure an Epidemiology internship at the Rhode Island Department of Health. Throughout the duration of my internship I helped to collaborate on a variety of projects as well as got hands-on working experience at the Department of Health. The opportunity allowed me to work with real data and create meaningful content that will impact policy and program implementation. The experience also allowed me to explore the day to day responsibilities that an Epidemiologist has and how important it is that they find the right partners to disseminate data in an effective and efficient manner.

what other experiential learning opportunities did you have you?

I was involved in two different research groups lead by the Health Studies Faculty as well as participating on the Health Studies Action Board. These experiences gave me new connections to other colleagues in my major as well as sharpened my critical thinking and research skills. I would highly recommend becoming involved in any experiential learning experiences like this because it is a great way to apply the skills you learn in class.

any advice for majors?

My best piece of advice is to make sure you establish meaningful connections with the faculty. Throughout my time at URI I have created strong connections with the professors, which has opened a lot of opportunities for me that I would not have otherwise had.

what surprised you the most about uri?

What surprised me the most about URI was how supportive the faculty is of all the students. All the faculty members genuinely want each and every student to succeed and they do everything they to make that happen. The faculty is committed to cultivating the best future Public Health leaders they possibly can.

what’s next?

After I graduate I will be interning at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene for the summer under the Center for Health Equity. Also starting in the fall I will be attending New York University in order to complete a Master’s in Public Health specializing in Epidemiology. I am excited about these next steps in my career and feel very prepared to succeed in these endeavors because of the education I received from the Health Studies program.