A leader in public health is someone who examines the full scope of the situation and considers all possible outcomes when making the best individualized or community-based decision. A leader knows when to listen to their partners/community/patients and makes informed decisions or motivates others to reach a goal. Leaders are continuously evolving as their field grows and changes and to be a leader, you must be flexible. Being a leader in public health and health care means working well with others, constantly educating yourself, and wanting to improve health outcomes. This means that people respect you and that you have the ability to influence others.

One opportunity that came from the MPH program was my Graduate Assistantship. In my role as the Graduate Assistant Advisor, I was able to work with the College of Health Sciences, build connections with the faculty within, work with undergraduate students, and even teach a class. This experience allowed me to build my interpersonal, leadership, collaboration, and communication skills. I took charge of a classroom and talked within groups and individual meetings with students and faculty to show what I know, give recommendations, and build connections.

During my Applied Practicum Experience, my leadership was thoroughly enhanced. I had to take the time to reach out to the community and find a place that would be willing to let me intern. In this internship, I have worked with a community-focused organization to help achieve their goal, but also get the tasks of my experience done. While working with the organization, I was able to see how each employee leads and follows in their individual role. These observations have improved my situational awareness and built my own confidence to excel in a leadership role. I have also had the opportunity to get into the community and get a first-hand experience with seeing the

Throughout my time in this program, classes have continuously tasked us with working in groups. Sometimes the task forces me to act as the leader by making sure the job is done correctly and on time. Other times it’s about creating a team that is best suited to get the task done appropriately. With these group work experiences, I have learned to build trust, intervene when necessary, and deal with conflict.