One thing I have always loved about public health is how diverse it is as a whole. There are so many different components that go into overall health and wellness. Some study the social aspects of it, while others study the science behind public health. I had the opportunity to talk with various seniors in the School of Public Health that are involved in different majors to ask them why they are studying public health and what they hope to bring to their future endeavors.
Jackie Hassenplug
Jackie Hassenplug
Majors: Community Health and Italian
Minor: Psychology
Why Public Health: From a young age, I always loved to help others and do service for my local community. I noticed as I did service that various areas and demographics could use help within the health community. I really enjoy focusing my time with people who have special needs. I chose community health as my major to help a wide variety of people, but I also focus on the special needs community because I have noticed that the United States doesn’t focus enough on helping those with special needs in our communities and providing the resources they may need.
Future: As a dentist, I plan to volunteer my services to less fortunate areas. Within my local health department, there is a program that brings local dentists to various areas and sets up a facility for children within schools that cannot afford dental care. Dental health is very important in creating overall health wellness. Many health issues start in the mouth and can also be detected in the mouth. By seeing a dentist regularly, these health issues can be prevented. By donating my services when possible, I will help with the overall wellness of the community.
Sarah Gutman
Sarah Gutman
Major: Health Fitness Specialist
Why Public Health: I didn’t pick my major based off of the fact that it was considered “public health” but the reason I did pick it was because health is so important to me that I want to help others create a healthy lifestyle. I feel that this topic area is more important than some may realize and being able to study a subject in this field is an amazing opportunity and I have loved every second of it.
Future: In my future career I hope to change lives by helping people get healthy and live a happy life. The more lives within a community I can change, the healthier the community will be. If I can make positive life changes for individuals, then the overall wellness of the community will hopefully improve.
Haley Robbins
Haley Robbins
Major: Recreational Therapy
Why Public Health: When coming to school, I had an idea of wanting to do Recreational Therapy, but I wasn’t 100% sure. I wanted to do something in public health and was interested in Recreational Therapy because I wanted to give back to various communities while working with people everyday. I am actually a part of an internship out in Colorado this semester where I am doing Adaptive Recreational Therapy with skiing, which I love!!
Future: In my future career, I hope I can make a positive impact in individuals’ lives. I will be attending Midwestern University in the Occupational Therapy Program and I am so excited to start that new chapter of my life.
I hope you found these testimonials helpful and could see their passion for helping others pursue and achieve wellness. If you are interested in learning more about the careers available in public health and wellness, there is an event coming up! On Tuesday March 7th, the Fitness and Wellness Career Fair will take place in the Union. A panel of career professionals will be there to answer your questions, and participating employers will be present, so get your resumes ready to find a potential job or internship!
Here is a link to information about the fair! https://careers.publichealth.iu.edu/events/2017/03/07/fitness-wellness-career-focus-fair/
Just a girl trying to get through her senior year, one cup of coffee at a time.
