Varied interests lead to new-found purpose for Public Health graduate
Women’s studies, humanities, languages, political science and art history were all on Visakha Turner’s list of interests when she attended New Student Orientation before the start of her freshman year at West Virginia University. During her first semester, she took a myriad of courses trying to find her purpose.
“That semester didn’t feel great,” she recalled. “I’m a pretty goal-focused, driven person. Having no clear focus or community was hard. All I really knew was that I liked people a lot and I wanted a career that would do some real good for them.”
After speaking with a friend, who was a recent graduate of the School of Public Health, Turner’s major soon changed from “undecided.” Discovering the Bachelor of Science in Public Health program was just what she needed to combine all of her interests.
“People always ask me what public health is. I would argue that it has an air of ambiguity because it is so many things,” she said of the diverse major. “Public health is women’s studies, it’s environmental studies, it’s cultural studies, it’s humanitarian studies, it's healthcare. It is preventative and holistic. It’s exactly what I was looking for at WVU."
The broad spectrum provided by public health complements Turner’s various interests and provided a foundation for projects she participated in during her academic journey. In addition to a major in public health, Turner expects to complete a degree in women’s and gender studies in May 2021 and is minoring in sociology. An interest sparked by her public health field placement experience has also inspired her to continue her studies.
“My growing professional interests lie at the convergence of equitable food systems and public health,” she said. “I plan to continue my pursuit in public health at the graduate level with budding passion in sustainable food production, and food for all.”
Turner worked with Mountain People’s Co-op, a community-owned nonprofit grocery store, as part of her final semester. She was able to identify vendors and create an online map for shoppers, interview local farmers and participate in a media event to increase co-op visibility among the community. Other School of Public Health partnerships, like Edible Mountain with Grow Ohio Valley near her hometown of Moundsville, W.Va., have also provided inspiration as she works toward achieving sustainable food justice.
Although her college experience started with much uncertainty, following her varied interests led her to exactly where she was meant to be.
“Public health has given me a name for my varying interests and a home at WVU,” she said. “It's okay not to know exactly what you want to do. Authentic interest yields real academic success.”
“Generally, know what your next step might be and trust that things have a way of working themselves out.”
-WVU-
jw/12/19/20
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WVU School of Public Health
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