On Thursday, student organizations, academic programs and other School of Public Health involvement groups gathered for the school’s annual SPH Involvement Fair, held in the School on its ground floor Concourse. The fair is hosted each year to help students get connected and learn more about various Public Health groups.
“We want to make sure students are aware of all the opportunities offered at the school,” said Tia Cunningham, SPH assistant director for student engagement. “The fair is a great way for students to learn more about what’s happening within their own school and for students to connect with student leadership opportunities, clubs and service groups.”
The fair is one of several events part of SPH’s Welcome Week, aimed at creating a strong community and sense of belonging for students across the school and campus, with events like Boris’ Block Party still to come on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
This year’s fair hosted the university chapter of Partners in Health Engage, a national organization established to expand access to healthcare, attended the event. Tulsi Patel, a senior public health and biology double major, was representing the chapter.
“It’s very important for public health students to get involved in community service around them, because this is one way we can give back to our community, and that's what public health is all about,” Patel said.
Students Engaged in Public Health (SEPH), a student-run club dedicated to educating the campus community on minority health, mental health and environmental health, also hosted a table.
Club member Agata Czaja, a sophomore cell biology and genetics major representing SEPH, said her organization was looking for more students to join to spread passion and education about public health. Larger campus events like the First Look Fair can be overwhelming for students, so smaller more major-specific ones are more beneficial, Czaja said.
Freshman public health science majors Keisha Agwe and Elisa Asante attended the event looking for different ways to get more involved with the school. They both appreciated the intimacy and proximity of the fair.
“It's nice to see that the school is bringing these opportunities straight to us rather than us having to seek it out ourselves. It’s important for me to find community here, and I thought this was a great way to do so,” Agwe said.
-Sumaya Abdel-Motagaly
Missed the Fair?
It’s not too late to find a group great for you! Find groups that attended the event this year - and in previous years – listed at the Undergraduate Student Involvement Fair events webpage.