#UMNMCH student Meredith Shimek reflects on her work with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) as a Title V MCH Data and Community Engagement Intern, and how she supported the department’s efforts to advance the health of Minnesotan families. In this piece, Meredith shares her motivations and passions in public health as well as her […]
Author: stow0049
Student Spotlight: How is Sheila Kennedy Supporting Families Impacted by Incarceration?
#UMNMCH student Sheila Kennedy (MPH 2025) reflects on her work with the Minnesota Model Jail Practices Project. In her work, Sheila has leveraged her extensive experience as a midwife and medical director in order to promote patient-centered, empathetic care for patients of all backgrounds. I was pleased to have been chosen to be deployed to […]
Student Spotlight: How is Kara Cowell Advancing Menstrual Equity?
#UMNMCH student Kara Cowell (she/her/hers, MPH 2026) wrote this reflection on how her work co-leading the Minnesota Menstrual Equity Toolkit Project has connected her previous policy and health research work to public health practice. Through her leadership across organizations including the Minnesota Menstrual Equity Coalition, PERIOD, Honest Sex Ed Minnesota, and the Women’s Foundation of […]
Student Spotlight: How did Ruth Dele-Oni’s Passions Inform her Hennepin County Internship?
#UMNMCH student Ruth Dele-Oni (MPH 2026) reflects on how her deployment with Hennepin County’s Baby Tracks Team has enabled critical research regarding vaccine hesitancy among the Somali population in Minnesota. In this piece, Ruth shares her drive for closing BIPOC maternal and child health (MCH) equity gaps. My journey to the MCH MPH Program was […]
Student Spotlight: How Did an Undergraduate Class Set Maddie Wolf on a Path to Improving Vision Health?
#UMNMCH student Maddie Wolf (MPH 2026), shares how her deployment with Vision Health Minnesota helped catch vision abnormalities early-on in children to prevent future harm. In this piece, Maddie shares how this experience reinvigorated her passion for serving children and families in the community. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, my path to […]
Student Spotlight: How is Karina Mendoza Centering Doula Needs and Voices in Maternal Health Policy and Programs?
#UMNMCH student, Karina Mendoza (MPH 2026), shares how her work as an Infant and Child Health Unit Intern at the Minnesota Department of Health empowers doulas and birth workers in the community through enhancing the communication of essential education and critical updates. My journey to the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) MPH Program at the […]