Hello everyone, I am asked to write an essay explaining my reasons for pursuing this degree and if I think my grades reflect my academic capabilities. Please inform me of your thoughts, suggestions and opinions, thank you. (M.Marshall)
It was the last day of my nutritional education program, April 2012. For three months, I had been educating public school students in the Washington Heights Section of New York City, through instruction and hands on activities, the basic elements of nutrition and positive well-being. As I setup the last activity for the year, I recounted in my mind the joyful moments and the potential impact I left upon my students. Upon arrival of the class, I began to explain today's recipe and how the ingredients would benefit their bodies. I asked who knew the importance of fats and proteins. A motivated student, Rosalee, raised her hand in excitement and answered correctly. Throughout the discussion, most students were able to give numerous examples of fats and proteins and how they helped to keep them strong and healthy. After completing the final lesson, Rosalee approached me, "Hello Ms. Monique, I just want to say thank you for coming here every week to teach us, I appreciated it and I learned so much." I smiled and thanked her for her admiring comments. She continued, "Every time I come here, I learn so much that I bring it home to my dad and I teach him how healthy we can be when we make things like the apple slices". Almost moved to tears, I praised her for sharing her newfound knowledge, thanked her once more and wished her a great summer. Until this moment, I was unsure of my career path, however, I felt motivated and proud that I was able to make a viable impact in Rosalee's life as well as my community. It was in this memorable experience that I confirmed my aspirations to educate and promote mental and physical wellness to the community.
Enrolling as an undergrad, I held goals of joining a profession which was tailored to my profound fascination for healthcare, one which gave me the ability to make a difference and held possibilities of career growth. I was unaware of any careers that would provide these goals and felt unsure about my future. However, my career path took a delightful change upon the suggestion of a biology professor that I devote time to community work. The suggestion, although geared toward students in pursuit of health professions, compelled me to try it out. I began my community work through international volunteering in Costa Rica. While in Costa Rica, I volunteered at a local nursing and rehabilitation home, assisting seniors, many of who were sick or without family, with their physical therapy needs and revitalization of their garden. Through this experience, I gained an appreciation for a new culture as well as an even greater appreciation for helping the elderly. By experiencing, the mission of the volunteering organization being fulfilled first hand, I felt inspired and began to question what my true passion was and how I could use it to impact my community.
Upon my return home, I registered for an independent research course in which I was guided by a professor to perform research. Because I live in an urban community flooded by obesity, I decided to devote my research to the correlations between precocious puberty and minority groups in the United States. The results of my research captivated me and gave me an entirely new perspective of the health of my own community. I grew concerned with the negative correlation between obesity and income in New York City, particularly, my own neighborhood of Brooklyn, which contained thousands of people suffering from a multitude of disease as a result of their diets. This compelled me to act.
In response, I turned to community work by obtaining a volunteer position educating elementary public school students in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan about basic proper nutrition. Through instruction and hands-on activities, I composed an entire curriculum tailored to teach students about the basic elements of nutrition and how to prepare healthy snacks. Many of my students, were very apprehensive at first and had little to no knowledge of the importance of a proper diet. However, over the course of the program, I was able to introduce a new appreciation for various foods and healthy eating. This program revealed a joyful skill within me, to educate and I realized how fulfilling and community benefitting programs as such could be, thus my decision to pursue a career in the field of community health blossomed.
Following this experience, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology which has provided me with extensive knowledge and skills from various perspectives of life science which will equip me well for a career in community health. Additionally, I believe the grades I have obtained in my undergraduate course, serve as a good reflection of my educational abilities; Although I may have had setbacks, I have learned to effectively overcome them in exceptional ways to achieve my goals. Moreover, I have continued to devote my time to local and international community work, specifically through public speaking, educating and contributing my skills to projects aimed specifically towards positive health and wellbeing within low-income neighborhoods.
Pursuing a Masters of Arts in Community Health Promotion at (Insert School) would enable me to further accomplish my career goals, by fusing my love of healthcare and community work while educating others. As part of the education and professional skills received at (Insert School) I would be provided with the necessary knowledge and professional skills needed to coordinate and implement effective programming within local urban communities, particularly public health facilities (e.g. public clinics, agencies, organizations, etc.), ensuring promotion of wellness in the position of a Health Promotion Program Coordinator. In terms of career growth, I aspire to conduct research, particularly those focused upon health disparities within minority populations in low-income communities. Furthermore, I plan to continue contributing to the community by gaining additional certification as a Health Educator. In this position, I plan to combine my education received as part of the community health curriculum to secure funding which will allow me to organize and manage community outreach programming within low-income neighborhoods, promoting positive health and wellbeing. Such programs will facilitate monthly health screening and weekly educational workshops, tailored to educate a range of age levels, how to maintain or receive help towards various health issues including nutrition, sexual reproduction and chronic diseases. In embracing these goals, I feel confident that pursing a Masters of Art in Community Health at (insert school) would be a great extension of my academic career. (M. Marshall)
