Conclusion
With my undergraduate career at the University of Florida (UF) coming to an end, I feel that it is important to reflect on the accomplishments and experiences that led to the completion of this academic portfolio. The entirety of my undergraduate education covers three and a half years of everchanging and increasingly challenging opportunities. I pursued a minor in Leadership from the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), completing this degree in just over a year and becoming a stronger and more resilient student in the process. I was then introduced to the Health Education and Behavior (HEB) program with the UF College of Health and Human Performance. From the start of my collegiate education to the end, my growth was impacted by the courses and experiences I participated in, such as the HEB specialization courses that sparked my interest and the final internship course (HSC4800) that finalized my interest in health education.
During my final semester, I completed a full-time, virtual internship with the American Red Cross as a Disaster Cycle Services intern. Working under the supervision of Gary Pelletier and Mentha Antoine, I participated in youth education programs that prepared young students for home fires and emergencies, while implementing these programs in my region for the first time. I also helped to evaluate the Sound the Alarm home smoke alarm installation program. Although my education faced some obstacles, such as the virtual atmosphere of my internship and courses that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, I believe that my internship and other health-based experiences contributed to my personal and professional growth.
In addition to the HEB program, I participated in extracurricular activities related to health education and health topics. I have been a member of Eta Sigma Gamma’s Alpha Lambda chapter, UF’s health education honorary society, which has connected me with my HEB peers and professors. As a member of the Alpha Lambda chapter and the national Eta Sigma Gamma society, I confidently discussed my own attitudes and understanding of health education topics.
I also completed various opportunities outside of the HEB program that have influenced my abilities and proficiencies. As a volunteer in the Family Medicine department and PICU at UF Health Shands’ Hospital, I reinforced my skills in professional communication, bedside manner, and delivery of health services. As an intern with Dr. Frederick Barr, a world-renowned plastic surgeon in South Florida, I observed how Dr. Barr interacted with his patients and communicated health information. Throughout my education, I have continued to work and volunteer within my community, forming a committed and involved community health educator.
The HEB undergraduate program had fulfilled a gap that was missing in my passion. As a pre-health student and eventually a pre-nursing major, I felt unsatisfied performing routine care for illnesses that could have been prevented with proper education and awareness. A focus in health education allows me to satisfy my urge to teach and influence change by educating others about disease prevention, healthy lifestyles, and other important health information. I quickly became immersed in this field by building relationships with my peers and taking on graduate courses as a Health Education BS/MS combined degree program student. As a soon-to-be graduate from the HEB program, I can confidently state that my education has shaped me into a dedicated and qualified health educator.
This academic portfolio serves as the foundation for my professional portfolio, to use as a I expand my skills and experiences in health education. Moving forward, I would like to complete the HEB BS/MS combined degree program, earning my Master of Science in Health Education. During my graduate career, I plan to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) exam and serve as a Teacher’s Assistant (TA) for any HEB undergraduate course. I would like to continue working as a health education specialist in youth education or women’s health, each a topic that was introduced to me by the HEB specialization courses and final internship. Each new accomplishment or project that indicates my growth will be added to this portfolio until I have maintained a successful and productive career as a health educator.