"Real education means to inspire people to live more abundantly, to learn to begin with life as they find it and make it better." Carter G. Woodson
The young ladies of South Bronx Prep were fortunate to have a guest speaker this week. Joelle Robinson, a recent graduate of the Mailman School of Public Health, spoke to the ladies of YWLI and the young men of the YMLI together about the field of public health.
Before the speaker, we spoke with the girls about useful questions to ask, in order to make the most of the opportunity to hear from a professional. Some of the strategies included:
1. Be specific. Rather than asking a question about the speaker's favorite food or region of the country, ask a question that allows her to explain how or why she did something. If a speaker mentions a specific event that was life-changing, make sure to refer to that event and ask for insight about it.
2. Open-ended questions are better than Yes/No questions. Open ended questions usually begin with "What", "Why" or "How" and have only as detailed an answer as the question allows for (i.e. "What were some motivating factors for you to choose college in the Southeast as opposed to other places?" is better than "Did you go to school in the South?")
2. Open-ended questions are better than Yes/No questions. Open ended questions usually begin with "What", "Why" or "How" and have only as detailed an answer as the question allows for (i.e. "What were some motivating factors for you to choose college in the Southeast as opposed to other places?" is better than "Did you go to school in the South?")
3. Listen to all responses before coming up with another question. Seminars, lectures and speeches are terrific forums for learning while participating in a broad discussion of a topic. Listen carefully to the speaker and the questions other audience members have. You may hear an answer to a question you've had, or want to add something to a question. The best way to be heard is to first listen.
The speaker discussed what public health professionals do and explained the diversity of the field of public health. This interactive discussion was very informative. The following are some journal entries:
Keren: "Health is not only about having cancer, it is about being stable mentally and I want to become a lawyer. I want to go to NYU. A lot of people mistreat their health and I know that college important for my health."
Jainabu: "I feel this was very helpful because it influences me to be more healthy, and it also gave me more information about public health. It was very interesting."
Gabby: "I believe the presentation was very interesting. I learned that volunteering will be very good for me in the future. I also learned I can get an interesting job during the summer. I also really liked the candy!"
A great introduction to a field of study that serves communities of color and is underrepresented by people of color.
Public Health, here we come!!
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