It’s never easy to be the new kid on the block. Everyone studies you with curiosity, or they ignore you, almost as if you are invisible. I noticed this when I was a relative newcomer to Health Administration, and I noticed it after I’d been around awhile. This is not unique to Health Administration; this is common human response to change, particularly when that change is about including new people in a group, club or organization. Last year at our business meeting a young, energetic student showed up and asked some provocative questions. When I found out that the Health Administration Section did not have a student liaison, I requested the Julie Nguyen, that young student, be our representative. I asked Julie to also write a newsletter article about her experience as a young newcomer to the Section. Following are her thoughts and perspectives. Thank you, Julie; a good reminder to all of use that if we want to grow the Section, and prepare for future leadership, we need to begin by embracing the young new faces in our own Section and help them understand what we do!
My Perspective as a Student at my First APHA Annual Meeting
By Julie Nguyen
Student Assembly Liaison to HA
Before the Conference
I wanted to, in a sense, “go into the field” when I joined APHA. I thought to myself, what better way to learn about all of the different facets of public health than to join an association? I became aware of the importance of associations to me, not only through the writings of classic authors such as De Tocqueville but also as a useful avenue for my personal growth. With that in mind, I talked my sister into sponsoring me to attend the 2007 conference in D.C.
I wasn’t exactly sure what the conference encompassed, but my friend told me that the conference was huge. I had never been to a professional meeting and did not really know what to expect. My friend’s forewarning to the size of the conference couldn’t quite encompass the vast array of activities that occurred at the conference.
The Conference
I came alone to the conference, welcomed with an e-mail from the Student Assembly. I knew that I was both a member of the Student Assembly, and the Health Administration Section, therefore, I was a little confused about where to start. While the Student Assembly welcomed me, the newsletter that followed didn’t provide me the necessary direction. I only planned meetings on the weekend since my schedule only allowed me to be there for half of the conference. I decided to attend one Student Assembly meeting, and then plan out my days according to the Health Administration meetings. I had hoped that the HA meetings would introduce me to the numerous faces of the HA Section.
I attended a “meet and greet” with the Student Assembly, and several business meetings with the HA Section, and still planned to attend the expo and some scientific sessions. I came to meetings, questioning everything from the creation of the organization to what exactly people did in the organization. By the end of the conference, the breadth of the organization through its diverse sections and constituents provided a positive lasting impression despite the numerous questions that ran through my mind. Some of those questions still remain today.
After the Conference
My professor often says that public health is the “just do it” profession, but in that spirit, I’m still not sure of what we just do for public health. I saw and heard many candidates speak on their positions during the business meetings, which contributed to the organization itself. I felt, however, that there the concentration of our efforts were on the candidates for the next year, so much that for a new member like me, I wasn’t sure what the Section did during the rest of the year. I honestly can say, I still don’t know what we do. Even with a little more involvement, it seems as if we are concentrating much of our effort on the 100th year anniversary. While important to celebrate, what we do besides the Annual Meeting eludes me. How do the members of the HA Section contribute to APHA, or just public health in general through this Association? In addition, what is the student’s role in all of this? How do we, as students, contribute to APHA and public health? What is the link between the HA Section, the Student Assembly and APHA? I am unsure of the goals that we have identified collectively and what role students have as well as what they have accomplished for the Section. I hope that all of you reading this can not only guide me through my position as Section liaison, but also give effective, constant feedback to both our section and the Student Assembly.
We Welcome your Thoughts and Responses – send your comments short or long to Tricia Todd at todd0002@umn.edu