Hannah Warden
I chose to study public health at WVU, because I knew that I wanted to work in healthcare but not practice medicine. Public health has given me the opportunity to explore many different career paths.
What does public health mean to you?
Public health gets to play a huge factor into one of my personal favorite quotes by Sir Robert Baden-Powell--"Try to leave this world a little better than you found it." Through studying public health, I get to identify passions that I want to strive to better in this world through promotion, access and equity of healthcare. I get to study something that is meaningful and of purpose to not only my future career but to myself as a person.
Why did you choose to study public health at WVU?
I chose to study public health at WVU, because I always knew that I wanted to work in healthcare but not practice medicine. Public health has given me the opportunity to explore many different career paths in very different settings.
Have any members of the faculty or staff influenced you in a unique way?
After working on a service project with Michael McCawley called Project MUSHROOM, I was able to find a passion for those currently experiencing homelessness and battling substance use disorders across Morgantown. My volunteer experience with a population I would not come into contact with on a daily basis was an eye-opening experience that I will be grateful for the rest of my life.
Tell us about your field placement experience or other hands-on experiences.
I am currently in a field placement/capstone project with the WVU Institute for Community and Rural Health. Within this role, I get to experience and discover strategies for recruitment and retention rates for medical professionals all across West Virginia. This experience has allowed me to learn about challenges and joys for healthcare professionals who work in a remote/rural area.
What would you tell prospective students about WVU and the School of Public Health?
WVU is my home and to seek new adventures within your collegiate experience, and to take a chance and find all of the fascinations within Public Health across the community, state and country!
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
Never turn down an opportunity to serve your community!
How have your experiences in the School of Public Health helped prepare you for your future?
My experiences have prepared me for connecting with individuals who are in need of care the most. It has broadened my eyes for how many heath disparities exist and how I can improve the lives of others at an administrative level.
What do you plan to do upon completion of your degree?
I plan to better the access to care across rural West Virginia.