#UMNMCH student Julieta Barbiero(she/her) wrote this reflection on her path to public health and her work with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). What was your path to the UMN MCH Program? I was not always in the public health field. I received my bachelor’s degree in international studies from American University in Washington, D.C. […]
Category: Student Spotlight
MCH students are doing amazing things! Read on to learn about their diverse interests, skills, reflections, passions, and more.
Are you a UMN MCH student who wants to be featured in a future Student Spotlight? Do you want to nominate a student to profile? Let us know!
Student Spotlight: How Did Dae Akre-Fens’ Time Working with Native Youth Highlight the Need for Public Health to Focus on Intersectionality and Indigeneity?
#UMNMCH student Dae Akre-Fens (MPH 2023) wrote this reflection on how her internship with the Indian Health Board and her interest in sexual and reproductive health have contributed to her career in MCH. Background I never thought I would go to grad school. After finishing my bachelor’s in Cultural Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies […]
Student Spotlight: How Did Paige Erickson’s MCH Deployment Seek to Address Mental Health Through a Public Health Lens?
#UMNMCH student Paige Erickson (she/they), MPH 2022, wrote this reflection on how her deployment with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the UMN Extension Center for Family Development let her explore mental health through a maternal and child health lens. Path to the UMN MPH in MCH Program Before coming to the School of […]
Student Spotlight: How is Marielynn Herrera’s Interest in Maternal Immigrant Health Inspiring her Pursuit for Health Equity?
#UMNMCH student Marielynn Herrera (she/her/ella), MPH 2023, wrote this reflection on how her deployment at Centro Tyrone Guzman and background working with family home visiting programs contributed to her career in MCH. Background My trajectory to the MCH program reflected my professional evolution. After completing my undergraduate degree, I placed a high premium on the […]
Student Spotlight: How Did MacKenzie O’Kane’s Experience Working with Justice-Involved Families Inform her Public Health Career?
#UMNMCH student MacKenzie O’Kane; she/her/hers (MPH 2023) wrote this reflection on how her coursework, internship, and professional development opportunities have launched her career in public health. Background I took a rather winding path to the University of Minnesota (UMN) School of Public Health and its Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program. After graduating from Xavier […]
Student Spotlight: How Did Summer Reid’s PRAMS Deployment Influence her Current MCH Interests?
#UMNMCH student Summer Reid, she/her/hers (MPH 2023) wrote this reflection on how her deployment with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) working with PRAMS Data helped contribute to her career in Maternal and Child Health (MCH). Background When I would tell people that I was majoring in biology and women’s and gender studies, people would […]
Student Spotlight: How Did Volunteering as an Abortion Clinic Escort Shape the Direction of Olivia Snow’s Master’s program?
Olivia Snow (She/her; MPH 2025) was one of two #UMNMCH students who received the Robert Ten Bensel Scholarship in 2021-2022. The scholarship is a one-time scholarship awarded annually by Epi to students who demonstrate outstanding potential for contributions to the principles of MCH, human equity, and community social justice. In spring 2022, we invited Olivia […]
Student Spotlight: How is Haley Lipo Zovic’s Interest in Pregnancy, Birth, Health Equity, and Social Justice Contributing to her Graduate Experience, Both In and Outside the Classroom?
#UMNMCH student Haley Lipo Zovic (she/her/hers; MPH 2023) wrote this reflection on how her deployment with the Minnesota Prison Doula Project has not only influenced her academic work throughout her first year but also facilitated her MCH and social justice involvement outside of the classroom. BACKGROUND If you would have asked 18-year-old Haley what her […]
Student Spotlight: How did Myo Myo Aye’s Data Analysis Efforts Inform a Vision Health Plan for the City of Minneapolis?
INTRO #UMNMCH student Myo Myo Aye (she/her) (MPH 2022) wrote this reflection on how her role as a Research Intern with the Minnesota Vision Health Task Force at Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) has contributed to her career in MCH. Her work creating briefs at MPS highlighted the importance of describing the impact of young children’s […]
Student Spotlight: How is Kaitlyn Traub Using a Health Equity Lens to Responsibly Report Data at MDH?
INTRO #UMNMCH student Kaitlyn Traub (MPH 2022) wrote this reflection on how her deployment with the Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Team at the Minnesota Department of Health has contributed to her career in MCH. Her work with briefs at MDH highlighted the importance of describing systems impacting the health of Minnesotans. […]
Student Spotlight: How did Delaine Anderson Provide Essential Data to Identify Underserved Populations and Inform Policy Changes for Parents and Children in Minnesota?
#UMNMCH student Delaine Anderson (she/her/hers), MPH 2022, wrote this reflection on how her deployment at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has contributed to her career in MCH. In this piece, she describes her experience with MN PRAMS, an ongoing public health surveillance project. Background I will complete my Master of Public Health (MPH) in […]
Student Spotlight: How is Alexis Chavez Building MCH knowledge and Skills Through her Work and Online MCH?
#UMNMCH student Alexis Chavez (she/her) (MPH 2022) wrote this reflection on how her role as one of the co-editors of the National MCH Trainee Blog has contributed to her Maternal and Child Health (MCH) knowledge base. In this piece, Alexis shares how her editorial work with MCH students incorporates skills presented in MCH Competencies and […]
Student Spotlight: How did Nichole Castillo’s Interest in Infant Mortality and Health Equity Lead to her Master’s in Public Health Degree with a Focus on Maternal and Child Health?
#UMNMCH student Nichole Castillo; she/her/hers (MPH 2022) wrote this reflection on how her coursework, experience as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, and deployment with MDH have contributed to her career in MCH. Background After working for several years in primary care, I became interested in pursuing a Master’s in Public Health. When I first graduated as […]
Student Spotlight: How is Cara Carter Making an Impact on Perinatal Outcome Initiatives in Minnesota?
#UMNMCH student Cara Carter (MPH 2022) wrote this reflection on how her coursework and deployment have bridged her pharmacy career and MCH career in pregnancy hypertension and Covid-19 vaccination work. Background I enrolled in the Maternal Child Health (MCH) Program as I was beginning my career as a pediatric pharmacist. I had just completed residency […]
Student Spotlight: How is Erin Marten Working to Make Reproductive Health Services More Comprehensive, Accessible, and Equitable in Toledo, Ohio?
#UMNMCH student Erin Marten (she/her) wrote this reflection on how her coursework, internships, and field/applied experiences have contributed to her career in MCH. Background I came to the MCH Program here at the U with an already established career as a nurse-midwife, but with a driving desire to understand my patients and their experiences on […]