#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 […]
Category: Student Spotlight
MCH students are doing amazing things! Read on to learn about their interests, skills, reflections, passions and more.
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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 […]
Student Spotlight: How is Anna Fuerniss Advancing Vision Health Through Systems-Level MCH Work?
#UMNMCH student, Anna Fuerniss (MPH 2025), shares how her deployment with the Minnesota Vision Health Task Force (MNVHTF) is contributing to improving vision screening for young children in Minnesota. The Task Force’s work aims to improve access to early childhood vision screenings and enhance outcomes for children and adults. My journey into Maternal and Child […]
Student Spotlight: How did Andrea Lawson and Katie Quijada use Community Feedback to Create Change?
Andrea Lawson is a second-year MCH student deployed to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) in partnership with the Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition, a group whose purpose is to create healthy environments where breastfeeding is valued and supported to achieve natural infant feeding in all Minnesota communities. The Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition Perinatal Experiences Study sought to […]
Student Spotlight: How are Claire Felter’s and Asmeret Abraha’s Interests in Social Connectedness and Health Paving Their Paths in Their Masters Program?
#UMNMCH students Claire Felter (MPH 2025) and Asmeret Abraha (MPH 2026) describe their deployments at Leap Pediatric and Adolescent Care in St. Paul. Through literature reviews and surveys, they have worked to identify how social connectedness impacts health and how this applies to the St. Paul communities that Leap serves. They hope that their work […]
Student Spotlight: How Has Diana Augustin Shaped an MCH Research Portfolio While at the University of Minnesota?
#UMNMCH student Diana Augustin (MPH 2025) reflects on their public health journey spurred by an interest in reproductive health. From a quirky theater class to an NIH research fellowship and roles at the Justice-Involved Women and Children’s (JIWC) Collaborative and the Cannabis Research Center, Diana’s focus has been on the societal and sociopolitical determinants of […]
Student Spotlight: How is Ingri Ramirez Enhancing Outcomes for Children and Families?
#UMNMCH student, Ingri L. Ramirez-Martin (MPH 2025), describes her experience working with the Ramsey County Children’s Mental Health Collaborative (RCCMHC). The RCCMHC works to improve access to mental health services for children and families. The organization emphasizes a holistic approach, advocating for care coordination and resource navigation to address the mental health needs of both […]
Student Spotlight: How is Aarin Urevig Informing Breastfeeding Practices Through Research and Community Engagement?
#UMNMCH student Aarin Urevig (MPH 2025) reflects on her journey to Maternal and Child Health, her deployment with the Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition and the Minnesota Department of Health, and her work analyzing breastfeeding support, perceived unfair practices, and barriers for Black women in urban communities. With a background in public health nursing, lactation support, and […]
Student Spotlight: How did Grace Armon Connect Her Geography Background to Maternal and Child Health with the Title V MCH Internship Program?
#UMNMCH student Grace Armon (MPH 2025) describes her Applied Experience (APEX) with the Title V MCH Internship Program through the National MCH Workforce Development Center. Her internship with the South Dakota Title V Division focused on analyzing community needs assessments. Grace’s background in geography and passion for place effects on health equipped her with the […]
Student Spotlight: How did Bella Mualem’s Deployment with the Minnesota Vision Health Task Force Shape Her Interests in Health Organizational Leadership?
#UMNMCH student, Bella Mualem (MPH 2025), describes her deployment with the Minneapolis Public Schools Early Childhood Screening Department and the Vision Health Task Force. As a part of her deployment, Bella helped create awareness campaign materials to improve vision screening in Minnesota children. She also actively developed leadership skills to formalize training processes and create […]
Student Spotlight: How is Ashlee Cermak Working to Reframe Our Understanding of Mental Health and Well-being?
#UMNMCH student Ashlee Cermak (MPH 2026) reflects on the experiences that led her to MCH and her internship with the collaborative Socio-Ecological Model of Mental Health and Well-being project. Ashlee conducted extensive literature reviews to identify environmental influences on mental health. She hopes that her work synthesizing and presenting this important mental health framework will […]
Student Spotlight: How did Katya Ivanchuk Identify Family-Centered Supports in St. Paul?
#UMNMCH student Katya Ivanchuk (MCH 2025) reflects on her deployment with Leap Pediatric and Adolescent Care in St. Paul, where she worked on a community needs assessment, literature review, and resource outreach campaign. Her work focused on enhancing the health and wellness of families by researching local organizations and promoting family-centered support. Leap Pediatric and […]
Student Spotlight: How is Kelly Gill Supporting Maternal Wellbeing through Birth Care and Perinatal Peer Support?
#UMNMCH student Kelly Gill (MPH 2025) wrote this reflection on her deployment at the Minnesota Department of Health’s Women’s Health Unit. As a part of her position, Kelly created multiple briefs to improve the availability of resources that would improve maternal outcomes. Kelly hopes that maternal mental health continues gaining visibility as a key issue […]