By: Mira Garin
Priya Navaney, a senior seeking her Bachelor of Science in Public Health, has spent her time at SDSU exploring as many facets of public health as possible. Initially interested in medical practice, volunteering at SHARP gave her an opportunity to more concretely understand the workflow of a hospital while helping support staff in activities such as helping patients check in and delivering meals. “It was my first experience where I was exposed to a hospital in person and working with nurses, doctors, and patients,” Priya recalled, “and initially had me question if the medical field is what I wanted to do.” She was later able to explore the operations of a microbiology lab while assisting the researchers with tasks such as creating growth media and cleaning equipment. However, attending the annual CSU Undergraduate Public Health Policy Conference in Sacramento opened a new avenue of exploration to Priya. “As a student I was unaware of how policy and medicine work with each other,” she explained. “Public health goes beyond medicine and science; [it] works hands on with our political system.” This knowledge prompted her to pursue an internship opportunity in the San Diego City Mayor’s office.
“This internship has been everything I could ask for and more,” Priya explained. Reviewing concerns ranging from trash pickup to homeless encampments, Priya’s role centers on ensuring that constituents’ voices are heard. She answers constituents’ phone calls and emails, and creates reports reviewing requests submitted through the city’s Get It Done app. “I was scared at first of working in an atmosphere that is mainly policy- and community-based since I am so used to science,” she noted. “However, I have been able to see how both go hand and hand with each other.”
“I enjoy testing myself with things I am unfamiliar with and pushing myself to challenge that,” Priya reflected. “I never imagined myself working in an office, but after a few months of being at City Hall I love it!”
