Kate Farren and Lauren Harper are two SDSU Public Health student athletes whose passion for sports and wellness is helping shape their future careers in public health.
Meet Kate Farren and Lauren Harper, two SDSU Public Health students-athletes who understand the intersection between athletics and well-being. Not only are they adapting to an ever-changing academic environment, but doing so with the resilience that is required for a tight schedule and physical rigor.
Kate Farren previously studied biology at Dartmouth college and was inspired to pursue epidemiology after attending a guest lecture during her senior year. Her passion for biostatistics led her to pursue her Master’s of Public Health in Epidemiology at SDSU. Alongside her public health studies, she is currently training to prepare for the softball Mountain West Championship and an NCAA tournament bid while interning at Scripps Mercy Hospital Well Being Center.
The focus for Kate’s current capstone project is mental health following heart attacks for adults in the United States. Studying this relationship isn’t just something that she wants to do as a senior, but something she hopes to continue studying into her research career.
She stated, “My ideal project would investigate the epidemiology and risk factors of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. With such a negative stigma surrounding mental health, this can lead to barriers to care and management among those who need it.” She also said, “I’m eager to begin my career and would love to stay in the San Diego area. I’m open to all possibilities and passionate about making a positive impact through this field.”
Lauren Harper, a track and field athlete at SDSU, carries the same passion for maintaining her own health while pursuing a career in public health. A close relationship with some friends studying public health opened the door for Lauren to find her passion in the subject. She wants to eventually become a veterinarian, as the overlap between disease research across humans and animals has interested her.
Lauren wakes up at 7 a.m. to begin a two-hour track and field practice. Twice a week she weight trains, while working closely with her athletic trainers to prevent injuries. Her blocked schedule allows her to devote time to training and to her academics daily. Diligent time management promotes an equal effort for all activities.
Her experiences as a student athlete have guided her perspective academically, having recently completed a class project regarding Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) among female collegiate endurance runners. She stated, “This research has provided me with so much knowledge that is helping me become more aware and making me a more powerful member of my team where I can discuss my learnings and the importance of fueling our bodies as distance runners.”
Giving back to her rural town Northern California is an important aspect of Lauren’s journey as a public health major at SDSU. Compared to non-rural towns, her hometown isn’t equipped with an adequate level of public health resources. Understanding this disparity is the first step in making a positive contribution. Lauren emphasized how great of an experience the public health program at SDSU has been for her. She said, “I am surrounded by classmates who are passionate about their studies and their future as well as professors who are excited to teach us.”
It’s no wonder that two students who have had such heavy interests in well being and fitness would also take up keen interests in public health. The positive correlation between athleticism and public health is a relationship that has existed for a long time, and will continue to exist through student athletes like Kate and Lauren.
