{"id":210,"date":"2016-01-22T19:41:22","date_gmt":"2016-01-22T19:41:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/health-studies\/?page_id=210"},"modified":"2024-03-29T09:07:12","modified_gmt":"2024-03-29T13:07:12","slug":"student-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/student-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"display-posts-listing\"><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2026\/04\/20\/amelia-katula-26\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Katula-Amelia-Headshot-150x150.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Katula-Amelia-Headshot-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Katula-Amelia-Headshot-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Katula-Amelia-Headshot-364x364.jpeg 364w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Katula-Amelia-Headshot-500x500.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Katula-Amelia-Headshot.jpeg 735w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2026\/04\/20\/amelia-katula-26\/\">Amelia Katula &#8217;26<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">I am from Arlington, VA. I chose URI for a few reasons; I was recruited for the Division I rowing team, I wanted to experience a different area of the country, and I loved the campus and strong sense of community at URI. I began as a biological sciences major, intending to do something health [&hellip;]<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2025\/06\/02\/jordan-simpson-25\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Simpson-Jordan-Photo-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Simpson-Jordan-Photo-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Simpson-Jordan-Photo-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2025\/06\/02\/jordan-simpson-25\/\">Jordan Simpson &#8217;25<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">I am from Cranston, RI. I began and ended my academic career at URI as a Public Health major with a specialization in health promotion. Being born and raised in Rhode Island, I was hesitant to attend URI as I expected I would know everyone and all of the possible opportunities. I was surprised, however, [&hellip;]<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2025\/05\/27\/jonathan-shaw-25\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Shaw-Jonathan-Photo-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Shaw-Jonathan-Photo-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Shaw-Jonathan-Photo-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2025\/05\/27\/jonathan-shaw-25\/\">Jonathan Shaw &#8217;25<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">I&#8217;m from Atlanta, GA, and I majored in Public Health at URI with a specialization in Health Services. What surprised me most about URI is how much I was able to interact with all the students even though it&#8217;s such a large school. It felt smaller than it is, and it was fun to be [&hellip;]<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2025\/05\/22\/marieanna-anderson-25\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Anderson-Marieanna-Photo-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Anderson-Marieanna-Photo-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Anderson-Marieanna-Photo-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2025\/05\/22\/marieanna-anderson-25\/\">Marieanna Anderson &#8217;25<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">I majored in Public Health at the University of Rhode Island, where I discovered that there are a lot of hidden gems on campus if you can find the right connections and surround yourself with the right people, which genuinely surprised me. One of the most transformative experiences during my time at URI was the [&hellip;]<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2025\/05\/22\/lydia-gladski-25\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Gladski-Lydia-Photo-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Gladski-Lydia-Photo-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Gladski-Lydia-Photo-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2025\/05\/22\/lydia-gladski-25\/\">Lydia Gladski &#8217;25<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">I&#8217;m from Westerly, RI, and I transferred to URI as a Public Health major with a specialization in health services two years ago. I missed being close to home with the ocean and support of my family, and returning to the beautiful state that I grew up in was one of the best decisions I [&hellip;]<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2024\/07\/23\/isabelle-boullier-24\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Isabelle-Boullier-150x150.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Isabelle-Boullier-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Isabelle-Boullier-300x300.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2024\/07\/23\/isabelle-boullier-24\/\">Isabelle Boullier &#8217;24<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">There is broad opportunity in pursuing a career in health studies. URI does a great job offering specializations that touch on many aspects of public health, along with study abroad opportunities, extracurriculars, and special events.<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2024\/07\/23\/lucy-kaczmarski-24\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Lucy-Kaczmarski-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Lucy-Kaczmarski-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Lucy-Kaczmarski-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2024\/07\/23\/lucy-kaczmarski-24\/\">Lucy Kaczmarski &#8217;24<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">In my opinion, the greatest strength of this major is its versatility. You may start on the same path as your classmates and end up heading in completely different directions. There is no \"right choice\" - it's all right.<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2024\/07\/23\/stephanie-franca-rich-24\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/stephanie-rich-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/stephanie-rich-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/stephanie-rich-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2024\/07\/23\/stephanie-franca-rich-24\/\">Stephanie Franca Rich &#8217;24<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">The biggest takeaway from my experience at URI is the sense of community. As a Block Island resident, my biggest fear was not being able to fit in.<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2024\/07\/23\/jack-watson-24\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Jack-Watson-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Jack-Watson-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/Jack-Watson-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2024\/07\/23\/jack-watson-24\/\">Jack Watson &#8217;24<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">The supportive and wonderful staff in the major have made it an exceptional program. From the professors to the academic advisors to the teaching assistants, I have always felt able to reach out for guidance and advice.<\/span><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2023\/05\/17\/samuel-gaston-23\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/image0-150x150.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/image0-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1261\/image0-300x300.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/2023\/05\/17\/samuel-gaston-23\/\">Samuel Gaston &#8217;23<\/a> <span class=\"excerpt-dash\">-<\/span> <span class=\"excerpt\">I came to URI to begin creating a legacy for myself and the family I\u2019ll create one day. I believe the path to success begins with educating oneself.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":581,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-210","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/581"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=210"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4415,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/210\/revisions\/4415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/public-health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}