SPHA Student Public Health Association

I am the treasurer for the SPHA. I am responsible for managing the group’s funds and helping my fellow executive board members plan meetings and events.

I will be graduating with my BPH this spring and completing my MPH next year through the 4+1 program. I will be concentrating in epidemiology. After I complete these degrees, my goal is to work at a state health department or the CDC in infectious disease epidemiology.

I chose to major in public health because it allowed me to combine my interest in health with my love for people. This field focuses on people first and I love that we get to immerse ourselves in the communities that we serve and advocate for them. We get to give a platform to groups that haven’t had a voice, which is really powerful.

I can play three instruments (trombone, piano, and saxophone). I play the trombone in the Wildcat Marching Band and pep band.

I am the Vice President. I help out Luke, our president, with any tasks needed to have our org run smoothly, and I also typically coordinate with our guest speakers for events.

I will attend George Washington University in Washington DC, next year to pursue a Master of Public Health in Humanitarian Health. After completing my master's, I want to work internationally with refugees and internationally displaced people. Despite the circumstances of life, everyone deserves to have equitable access to care and live a full and healthy life.

I actually first learned about public health in middle school. My teacher gave me a book called The Hot Zone that told a story about filoviruses and epidemiology in Western Africa, and I was instantly hooked. At the same time, the Ebola outbreak was occurring, so I saw how public health initiatives could prevent thousands of people from ever getting sick in the first place. Now I love public health because it is rooted in justice and equity. Leana S. Wen said, "Public health is a powerful tool to level that playing field, to bend the arc of our country away from distrust and disparities and back towards equity and justice." This is why I love public health.

I once told my mom I was going for a walk, but my dad and I drove to Wisconsin to skydive. Best feeling ever.

I am the Communications Chair for SPHA. I create graphics for our @ukyspha social media accounts which cover everything from event information to executive member spotlights. I also manage all communications we receive through those accounts.

I have accepted an internship position with StateFarm this summer. I will also be applying for my Master of Health Administration degree this fall and my future career aspirations include becoming an executive director within a healthcare system.

I knew I have always wanted a career in healthcare but wasn’t sure which major would be the best fit for me when applying to college. During my CPH 201 course freshman year, my professor made a simple comparison discussing how doctors help individual patients, in the field of public health, communities serve as the “patient”.

I love trying new restaurants and a goal of mine is to try as many in restaurants in Lexington before I graduate!

I am the secretary of SPHA. I am responsible for keeping track of attendance and creating meeting notes (summary of everything that was said/took place) for every event. I also help out the other officers whenever they need me!

I will be staying at UKY to begin my Masters of Health Administration in the fall. I have accepted an internship with UK Healthcare while completing my Masters and an internship with Norton Healthcare in the Summer of 2024. After school I plan on working as an executive for a hospital, hopefully in an underserved rural area.

I like how I can help improve the lives of more than one person at a time. I also think public health will help me understand the broad present/future implications of any decisions I make when I work in a healthcare organization.

I have a dog named Captain America.

I will be serving as the Head Resident Advisor for the KY Governor’s Scholars Program at Murray State this summer.

In my spare time I like hiking, kayaking, reading, and playing sand volleyball.

I am the president of the SPHA. My duties are to oversee the coordination of all our events and ensure that my team has everything they need to succeed.

I plan to pursue a legal degree after undergraduate and work on an international level to ensure that all people have access to the healthcare they need.

I choose public health because I want to help people. I believe all people should have access to healthcare and the work of public health professionals gets us closer to that goal every day.

I earned my black belt in martial arts at 10 years old.