Student Contributors

Born and raised in Mauritius, Trishnee decided to come to Bloomington two years back to work on her Ph. D. in Health Behavior. She has both a Bachelor and a Master of Nutritional Sciences from the University of Mauritius. Trishnee first started volunteering as a student blogger for the Office of Career Services and currently, as the blog editor, she heads the team of student bloggers. Her team makes sure career-related events are communicated in a timely fashion, and that students get regular advice on their resumes, job application procedures, time management skills and many others through articles. During her free time, Trishnee enjoys knitting, hiking, gardening, cooking and watching horror movies.

Born and raised in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Hayley began her undergraduate career at Indiana University three years ago. She is currently a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health through the School of Public Health with minors in Spanish, Portuguese, and Global Health Promotion. Hayley is involved in a variety of organizations on campus and volunteers in the Bloomington Community. This is her second year as a School of Public Health Student Ambassador and looks forward to the renewed opportunity to represent her school. You can find Hayley spending all of her time and money at Pour-house Coffee on Kirkwood.

Tapati Dutta is a Ph.D. candidate at School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington. Her pedagogic majors are Health Behavior and Health Policy. Prior to this, Tapati completed two Master’s Degrees in Social Sciences (M.A) and in Population Studies (M.P.S). With her passion for work with the vulnerable communities, she has spent two decades working on sexual and reproductive health rights in India, Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa. She loves her work travels which introduces and mingles her with different cultures and people. Though began as a hobby, she has experienced solace in painting and pursues sketching nature using charcoal and acrylics.

Derek is a second year Master of Public Health student with a concentration in Physical Activity.  Derek joined the School of Public Health Student Ambassador program in 2016.  He holds a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University.  Derek is a native of Evansville, Indiana, but has lived in seven states across the U.S., having moved to Bloomington from Los Angeles, California.  While at Indiana University, Derek has been involved as an associate instructor, as a staff member at Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, and as a student member of the MPH Assembly and Graduate and Professional Student Government.    In addition to his involvement on campus, he has also volunteered in the community to organize physical activity programs for local school children and adults.  In his free time, Derek enjoys exploring Bloomington’s trail network with his dog, Hans Peter, cooking, gardening, and playing trombone and piano.

Danielle is a Junior from Indianapolis, Indiana, studying Environmental Health with minors in Chemistry and Spanish. She joined the School of Public Health’s Student Ambassador Program in the fall of 2016. In addition to being a Student Ambassador, she is a member of the IU Minority Association of Premedical Students serving as the fundraising chair, and a member of Alpha Chi Sigma, a professional chemistry fraternity. After she graduates from Indiana University, she hopes to attend medical school. In her free time, Danielle enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling and trying new food.

Meredith grew up in South Bend, Indiana and came to Bloomington in 2015. She is currently a Junior working toward her Bachelors in Public Health with majors in both Community Health and Epidemiology. She joined the School of Public Health Student Ambassador’s program in the fall of 2016, when she also joined Peer Health and Wellness Educators. This is an organization that works out of the Health and Wellness office in the IMU and also partners with the IU Health Center. She works in the office and around campus giving out information about sexual health, tobacco cessation, and nutrition. In her free time, Meredith enjoys going to the beach, reading, watching Netflix, and watching Notre Dame football games with her friends.

Tyler Munn is a Sophomore from Lake in the Hill, Illinois, working on his BSPH in Epidemiology, certificate in GIS and Remote Sensing, and a minor in Medical Sciences. Tyler has been an SPH Student Ambassador since fall 2016. He is also involved in Health Now, a student organization designed to participate in health prevention activities, and Awkward Silence Comedy, an improv group that puts on a free improv show every week. After he graduates, he hopes to be accepted into the CDC’s Public Health Associates Program in which he hopes to work hands on with various public health agencies and non-governmental organizations to improve community health. In Tyler’s free time, he enjoys watching old movies, hiking, and listening to music.

Blessing is a junior from Fort Wayne, IN, majoring in Nutrition Science with a minor in Health System Management and Policy. Blessing joined the School of Public Health Student Ambassador Program in the fall of 2016. In addition to being a Student Ambassador, she is Resident Assistant at Foster Quadrangle and a Hudson & Holland Scholar. She is a volunteer for Biology Outreach, a program which educates elementary students in Bloomington in biology, and is a member of Timmy Global Health, African Student Association, and of MAPS (minority association of pre-medicine students). In her spare time, she loves trying new restaurants in Bloomington, traveling, and spending time with friends. After graduation, Blessing hopes to continue her education by either pursuing a Masters’ of Public Health or taking a gap year to prepare for medical school.

MacKenzie is a Junior from Elkhart, Indiana, working towards her Bachelors Degree in Public Health with a major in Exercise Science and a minor in Psychology. MacKenzie joined the School of Public Health’s Student Ambassador Program in the fall of 2016. In addition to being a Student Ambassador, she is a member of the STEM outreach program which teaches Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to elementary students in Bloomington. She also is the Campaigns Coordinator for GlobeMed, which works to address health inequities in impoverished communities and to promote education about global health issues. MacKenzie works as a Solutions Engineer for Ciren Group, Inc. After she graduates from Indiana University, she hopes to continue her education at Indiana University School of Medicine. In her free time, MacKenzie enjoys playing card games, cooking, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.

Rebecca “Becca” is a second semester senior from Northern Virginia, right outside of Washington D.C. Becca came to Indiana University to take advantage of an opportunity to be outside of her comfort zone and to be able to spend four years in this wonderful community. Here, she found a major that was perfect for her – Human Development and Family Studies. This allowed her to pursue her passion for Geriatrics, which is one of her two minors, the other being Psychology. Besides academics, she is a sister, as well as Vice President, in the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority. Becca also works and volunteers with elderly in the community regularly. Other things she enjoys while in Bloomington are exploring the variety of restaurants and finding new things to do outdoors.

Alyssa is a junior from Brownsburg, Indiana, and working towards her Bachelors in Public Health with a major in Community Health and minors in Global Health Promotion, Human Development and Family Studies, Ecotourism, and Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Human Ecology. She joined the School of Public Health Student Ambassador’s program in the fall of 2016. In addition to being a Student Ambassador, she is a member of Timmy Global Health which provides students with opportunities to learn and fight health disparities locally and abroad. In her free time, Alyssa likes to travel, hike, eat plenty of food, watch Netflix, volunteer, and spend time with her family and friends. 

Kendrick is currently a Senior from Indianapolis, Indiana, studying Community Health with a minor in Human Sexuality at Indiana University Bloomington. He joined the School of Public Health’s Student Ambassador Program in fall of 2016. In addition to being a Student Ambassador, he is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, an Ambassador and Peer Advisor form the Group Scholars program and a member of Chi Alpha Epsilon National Honor’s Society. Kendrick also volunteers and works with the Jordan YMCA implementing fun, healthy, and enjoyable curriculum for the kids. After graduation, he hopes to continue his education in either the field of nursing or youth development. In his spare time, he loves spending time with friends, swimming, traveling, cooking, and just enjoying life!