Epidemiology Personal Statement

I have been interested in the field of public health since I first heard the term epidemiology in high school biology. As someone who enjoyed the health aspects of science classes but performed quite pitifully in them, the epidemiology module was a redeeming feature for what seemed to be the complicated, theoretical concepts of a high school biology course. In college, however, my grasp of the hard sciences grew considerably. After exceeding my expectations in an introductory chemistry course, I went on to take many more chemistry and biology courses and ultimately decided to pursue a degree in Psychology with a concentration in Neuroscience.

Aside from my studies, I also devoted my time to the Student Health Advisory Board. The Board met regularly to discuss public health issues and organized events like blood drives and health career fairs. One of my favorite events was “No Butts About It Day” which served to raise awareness about the impact of smoking on individual, public, and environmental health in addition to ridding our campus of a dozen pounds of cigarette butts.

In the Mentoring for Success program I was able to monitor the effect of mentoring on a student’s academic progress and ability to transition to college by administering regular assessments. But perhaps the best method in determining a good mentor-mentee match was observing how they interacted with one another in program meetings and outings. It was pleasing to see mentors and their mentees work as a team to excel on the health quiz and applaud each other for hitting their target number of steps in the pedometer