Public well being grads uncover passions, strengthen native workforce

Three college students who exemplify the spirit of excellence amongst public well being graduates on the College of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Thompson School of Public Health & Social Work will earn their bachelor’s of arts in public well being (BAPH) in December 2022 and are optimistic for the highway forward. They’re a part of a category of 32 BAPH and 14 superior diploma candidates who’re graduating this fall.

“These Office of Public Health Studies college students are excellent examples of the impression undergraduates can have on public well being in our native communities, each as college students and as members of our workforce,” mentioned Undergraduate Chair Denise Nelson-Hurwitz.

Theresa Ng

Ng turned a public well being main as a freshman at UH Mānoa. With a ardour for well being coverage and advocacy, she has gained expertise at totally different ranges of public coverage, by a legislative internship in Washington, D.C. and an internship with the Workplace of Lieutenant Governor. Along with the Hawaiʻi Public Well being Institute as a part of her Utilized Studying Expertise, she advocated for statewide regulation of vaping merchandise amongst teenagers, linking together with her capstone venture targeted on a coverage evaluation of e-cigarette regulation to lower youth accessibility and curiosity.

“Working with the Hawaiʻi Public Well being Institute was such a tremendous method to become involved within the state legislature and my appreciation for coverage actually grew there. The sphere of public well being is so broad, and the truth that I might do a policy-related internship, which was my main objective, was nice,” Ng mentioned.

Ng has been commonly engaged with the general public well being pupil group, Hui Ola Pono, together with holding management positions. Following commencement, she will likely be working with State Sen. Stanley Chang and is happy to work within the housing coverage and advocacy subject.

Māhealani Taitague-Laforga

Taitague-Laforga realized about UH Mānoa’s public well being program after incomes her affiliate’s diploma from Leeward Community College. Incomes an undergraduate diploma in public well being was a chance to deal with inequities and promote resilience among the many Native Hawaiian neighborhood. Taitague-Laforga was accepted into this summer time’s inaugural Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Well being Summer time Academy, the place she accomplished a qualitative evaluation figuring out three prime priorities for Native Hawaiians to thrive. She additionally serves because the occasions coordinator of Hui Ola Pono.

“The [BA] public well being pathway supplied me with ample assist and house to develop in addition to confirmed my public well being passions,” Taitague-Laforga shared. “I’ve lately submitted my software for the grasp’s program in public well being with a specialization in Native Hawaiian and Indigenous well being at UH Mānoa for fall 2023 and I’m very excited for what’s subsequent!”

Nicholas Bongcaron

Bongcaron found public well being in his sophomore yr as a former gymnast with plenty of curiosity in psychological well being and psychological well being assist. Finishing his public well being capstone subject expertise with Psychological Well being America of Hawaiʻi, he developed a give attention to social well being amongst secondary college college students in Hawaiʻi.

&lduqo;I really feel unhealthy for the ‘quaran-teens’,” Bongcaron mirrored. “They missed out on center college, homecoming and making new buddies. I hope they’re searching for one another.”

He impressed his subject supervisors and was supplied a job even earlier than his commencement this month. As he wraps up his bachelor’s diploma and appears towards the longer term, he balances his remaining semester of lessons with coordinating and offering content material for Psychological Well being America of Hawaiʻi’s social media accounts.

Workplace of Public Well being Research Director Eric Hurwitz added, “We’re very happy with all our graduates this yr, some assembly in-person for the primary time after a number of semesters of on-line studying.”.