How a Biology Major Lead Me into Public Health and Working For a Non-Profit Organization

In the beginning, I wanted to be a physician, a scholar of everything medicine. And while my greatest passion is still medical science and research, my path has taken me in a slightly different direction. Currently, I manage the Afterschool Meal Program and Summer Food Service Program for FLIPANY, a non-profit organization, whose “mission is to empower youth and their families through physical activity and nutrition education programs while raising awareness and creating policies for a healthier community”. Working in an arena of health and wellness, I am able to touch base on both my undergraduate days of biology in the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, and incorporate community outreach in underserved areas. I attended The College of Osteopathic Medicine to obtain a Master in Public Health degree, often sitting side by side with medical students taking a dual graduation track. In this presentation, I will discuss some important steps of my journey. There will be unexpected turns, lessons learned, and a new sense of flexibility, discovery and positive outlook on what comes next.