Throughout my journey as a student at the University of Florida, I have become more aware of the importance of humans' holistic well-being and the significance of health education in our society as a whole. My academic portfolio was produced to display some of my experiences and attainments as a student in health education and behavior in pursuit of graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Florida in April 2021. It will feature several aspects of my academic preparation, practical experiences, and extracurricular participation, including my resume and personal philosophy. I am honored to have received the vital skills and experiences to establish change upon my community and individuals as a whole.
The “Academic Preparation” section of my portfolio consists of three successful academic student projects completed as upper-level coursework in the health education and behavior program at the University of Florida. All of the projects presented here were completed in the Spring and Fall of 2020. My first academic project highlighted in my portfolio was completed in Spring 2020 in the course HSC4713- Planning and Evaluation in Health Education with Dr. Amber Emanuel. It is a county-wide program named “Stress Relief Day in Union County,” and its purpose was to demonstrate my knowledge of the principles and framework learned in the course into an applied project. Through this project, I presented my mastery in each step of planning, implementing, and evaluating health education programs. My second academic project was completed in Fall 2020 in the course HSC4593-HIV/AIDS Education with Dr. Sadie Sanders. This presentation was named “Global Solidarity, Shared Responsibility: Russian Federation,” and it was completed as a group project. The sole purpose of this academic project was to support World AIDS Day (WAD) and increase awareness of HIV globally. My last academic project was completed in Spring 2020 in the course HSC3201- Community and Environmental Health with Dr. Julio Rodriguez. This capstone paper provided the opportunity to apply some of the concepts and key theories discussed in class to an essential community health issue taking place in Union County, Florida. All projects were completed with an A in each course.
The “Practical Experience” section of my portfolio highlights a sample of my health education projects that I completed during my internship in the Wellness Center at the Advent Health of Ocala Hospital in Spring 2021. My projects focus on training future interns, creating “whole-person” focused newsletters for the nursing department, and implementing a community intervention that prioritized the importance of healthy eating and staying active. My first project is a training tool that was designed to train future interns in the facility on the importance of motivational interviewing in the healthcare setting. As interns, we participate in county-wide screenings where we have the opportunity to educate patients on the importance of healthy eating and exercise for good heart health. Through these experiences, my supervisor and I decided that I should create a training tool for future interns to engage their patients in their care and motivate them to change their behaviors. My second project is a newsletter created for the nursing department in Advent Health of Ocala. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have been struck by an enormous amount of stress and found themselves in situations they have never experienced before. Due to this, I was tasked with creating a newsletter that focused on nurse’s whole-person health given the practice environment of the COVID-19 pandemic. My third project is my involvement in the implementation process of a county-wide program named “Eat Healthy, Be Active.” This new program was created by the Marion County Hospital District (MCHD) and educates the bus driver population in Marion County about engaging in healthier lifestyles. Through this process, I presented "Healthy Eating on a Budget," and helped the participants understand the concepts and importance of healthy eating and keeping active. I will also be involved in the evaluation process of the program, which will not be available in this portfolio until much later.
My “Involvement” section highlights some of my extracurricular activities and involvement during my undergraduate career. My first featured activity is being a member of Eta Sigma Gamma (ESG), a professional health education honorary. My experiences as a member of this honorary team have led to many opportunities for professional and academic development. My involvement included membership events like “Sex in the Swamp” in which I had the opportunity to educate the student population on multiple health topics including fiscally friendly foods and mental health. Through these experiences, I was able to fuel my passion for teaching and making a difference in my community. My second featured activity is my involvement in Splash Pals North Central Florida (NCF), an organization focused on implementing aquatic activity programs for children with various physical and developmental disabilities. We met every Tuesday to create tailored programs for each child based on their needs, like motor and social development. Finally, I was involved in the School Health Interdisciplinary Program (SHIP), which is affiliated with the Department of Health Education and Behavior at the University of Florida. This program focuses on providing health education to lower-income schools with the goals of influencing educational success, increasing attendance rates, and decreasing school dropout percentages. Through my experiences, I learned about relevant health topics, which include physical activity, nutrition, stress management, and many others. I have learned essential teaching skills for the school-aged population that may serve me in future endeavors.
The “Conclusion” section presents a summary of my overall experiences in my undergraduate career while studying health education at the University of Florida. I highlighted multiple aspects that have contributed to the individual I have become. It also provides the opportunity for me to look back on my past and further develop my knowledge and skills in the clinical setting.