Annie is a second-year Health Promotion and Behavioral Science student at SDSU. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. She developed an interest in public health after reading a Peace Corps memoir about a woman who worked as a midwife in rural Mali that highlighted public health issues that are happening all around the world. Annie wanted to be one of the people finding solutions to public health issues and to work providing healthcare access to people who need it. During her nursing program, Annie was able to work with refugee families in Michigan and had the opportunity to spend a semester in Ghana, West Africa. She was impressed by the quality of public health initiatives in Ghana and how preventative care was emphasized due to the lack of resources. These experiences led Annie to transition to public health.
After working for three years as a nurse, Annie moved to San Diego with her fiance. She is very interested in behavioral change and believes that it is key to helping people manage chronic conditions. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Annie volunteered to work at the Sharp Memorial COVID unit where she gained experience helping treat COVID patients. She was also working at the County of San Diego, in the Test, Trace, Treat (T3) Program, as a COVID-19 Case Manager where she helped with tracing, but also providing clinical information and comfort to those who were affected by the virus. Annie’s inpatient care experience as a nurse was significant in that she saw the gap in care when it comes to chronic disease management and the lack of proper education from provider to patient on how they can better manage their health when they leave the hospital.
Currently, Annie is working in Dr. Melody Sciaffino’s research lab where she hopes to get more research experience and learn more about the intersection of technology and health equity. She is especially interested in health literacy and mental wellness as one of the cornerstones of physical wellness. Annie loves learning and hopes to continue her education in public health by applying to PhD programs after she receives her Master in Public Health at SDSU.
