Public Health research coordinators, Danielle Pelaez (former WLP/IAC student), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health & Brianna VanNoy,(former WLP GTA for SHM), Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus Ohio shared stories about working with at risk populations and the inequities in public health services. We are so grateful they shared their passion for the work and their expertise in the field. Thanks Brianna & Danielle! Here are two student responses from that event.
Sophia Hairston:
When Danielle Pelaez commented “people are experts of their own lives” that phrase resonated with me directly. As someone who is passionate about service and best to advocate for better quality of life in third world countries, I paid close attention to her message here. When I traveled with Global Volunteers to visit Tanzania, I noticed a clear cultural difference. When I walked through local towns and befriended nearby villagers, I quickly noticed that clothes were too small or too big, they had large holes and patches, and some children walked naked. In the area I was at most kids had around two outfits, and one pair of shoes. To me, this was my first priority. I suggested that we find clothes to donate and put all of our focus on clothing the fits and was appropriate for each season-- I was mistaken. I automatically noticed that appropriate clothing was an issue because it was the first thing that I saw; what I failed to see was that the kids were lucky if they received two meals a day, and if children did not pass an exam in English (a language many children did not speak) they would not be able to receive education past a middle school level. My first priority was not theirs. If I had known how valuable and important Danielle’s comment was about people being the experts in their own lives then I wouldn’t have wasted my time on an issue that is not the priority. Listening to people and asking questions about how we can help is a key aspect to leadership. It is how you lead by serving others rather than simply serving your expectations.
Amelia Zehnder
I completely agree with Danielle Pelaez’s idea that “people are experts of their own lives.” As constituents, we know our lives and the way that legislation impacts our communities the best. We are directly affected by laws that are passed, regulations that are enacted, and officials who get elected. There is a direct impact either on us or on someone around us. Our elected officials, on the other hand, may not be as affected as we are by the decisions they make. They are in a place of privilege due to their status and money, so things that impact the average person in their district may not have any impact on the official themself. Many officials spend the majority of their time living in Washington DC anyways, so they may not even be in their home districts to see the results of their decisions. Due to these facts, it is imperative that elected leaders interact with the people in their communities and consider their opinions rather than special interests. They must hear from their constituents, as those are the people who are ‘experts of their own lives.’ They can give elected officials a sense of how legislation may impact their communities before the decisions are made.