Spotlight On Students
Isaac, a master’s candidate in the College’s Health Education program, will study at the University of Oxford as part of the award
My name is Fengyu Dong and I go by Kelly. I am currently a 2nd year graduate student in the MS Community Health Education program and a member of the MS Student Committee.
I had one of the most unusual but intellectually exciting first semesters at TC last Fall. My professors were more than academic instructors in the classroom. They are inspiring, compassionate, and extremely caring of my personal well being as an international student. I am thankful for the course experience and was able to improve myself significantly in academic reading, writing and communication. In particular, I accelerate the learning of professional content knowledge about the arts and science of health education throughout class projects, group discussions and the well-intentioned final papers. Outside the classroom, I was exposed to leadership training opportunities through participating in the MS Student Committee. I was consulted about the students’ learning experience and given the opportunity to advise how professors can make our TC experience more fulfilling.
My career interest was to become a health science teacher at the secondary school level because I think the subject of health education and community health are essential for the youths. I am now inspired by our professors to pursue a more in-depth, rigid and quantitative academic research on issues such as youth tobacco use, mental distress in the time of COVID pandemic, high-risk substance use and suicide attempts among Asian American adolescents, as well as sensitive issues such as Asian hate and hate crime. I am seriously considering pursuing further studies after the completion of the MS program. In addition, I also developed professional interests in the field of social psychology (applied and clinical), applied statistics (newly discovered interest by learning with the amazing statistics professor) and education entrepreneurship.
I graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Hunter College, the City University of New York in June 2021. I was a recipient of the Meghan Charlop Scholarship and the Clinton Global Initiative University Fellowship Award.
My name is Fengyu Dong and I go by Kelly. I am currently a 2nd year graduate student in the MS Community Health Education program and a member of the MS Student Committee.
I had one of the most unusual but intellectually exciting first semesters at TC last Fall. My professors were more than academic instructors in the classroom. They are inspiring, compassionate, and extremely caring of my personal well being as an international student. I am thankful for the course experience and was able to improve myself significantly in academic reading, writing and communication. In particular, I accelerate the learning of professional content knowledge about the arts and science of health education throughout class projects, group discussions and the well-intentioned final papers. Outside the classroom, I was exposed to leadership training opportunities through participating in the MS Student Committee. I was consulted about the students’ learning experience and given the opportunity to advise how professors can make our TC experience more fulfilling.
My career interest was to become a health science teacher at the secondary school level because I think the subject of health education and community health are essential for the youths. I am now inspired by our professors to pursue a more in-depth, rigid and quantitative academic research on issues such as youth tobacco use, mental distress in the time of COVID pandemic, high-risk substance use and suicide attempts among Asian American adolescents, as well as sensitive issues such as Asian hate and hate crime. I am seriously considering pursuing further studies after the completion of the MS program. In addition, I also developed professional interests in the field of social psychology (applied and clinical), applied statistics (newly discovered interest by learning with the amazing statistics professor) and education entrepreneurship.
I graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Hunter College, the City University of New York in June 2021. I was a recipient of the Meghan Charlop Scholarship and the Clinton Global Initiative University Fellowship Award.
Alyssa Jean BSN, RN., is a registered nurse and second-year student in the Masters of Science in Community Health Education program. After working as a telemetry nurse and being disheartened by the lack of education intentionally given to patients regarding their health status, new diagnoses, and medications, it caused her to think about the larger barriers that impede positive health outcomes. As a result, she has become increasingly interested in preventative health, the effects of social determinants and other non-clinical factors that contribute to hospitalization, as well as how to address risk factors that increase the chances of inpatient readmission. In addition, she is interested in researching the dynamic of hospitals and other inpatient settings to discover how patient education and empowerment can be emphasized.
Alyssa Jean graduated from New York University Rory Meyers School of Nursing with a major in Nursing and Global Public Health, where she had the chance to study abroad in Accra, Ghana, and serve as a teacher's assistant at a non-profit called Street Girls Aid. Street Girls Aid is an organization that offers ante and postnatal care for pregnant teenagers, health education, and early childhood education for teenage girls and women. There, she saw the beauty and effectiveness of education and empowerment, and the necessity of knowledge to make well-informed decisions.
Through her nursing and public health experience, coupled with her growing knowledge pertaining to community health education, she hopes to create programs geared towards knowledge, empowerment, and increased self-efficacy towards making healthy decisions, while also tackling the more external and upstream factors that while beyond an individual's control, can still affect their health and quality of life.
Alyssa Jean BSN, RN., is a registered nurse and second-year student in the Masters of Science in Community Health Education program. After working as a telemetry nurse and being disheartened by the lack of education intentionally given to patients regarding their health status, new diagnoses, and medications, it caused her to think about the larger barriers that impede positive health outcomes. As a result, she has become increasingly interested in preventative health, the effects of social determinants and other non-clinical factors that contribute to hospitalization, as well as how to address risk factors that increase the chances of inpatient readmission. In addition, she is interested in researching the dynamic of hospitals and other inpatient settings to discover how patient education and empowerment can be emphasized.
Alyssa Jean graduated from New York University Rory Meyers School of Nursing with a major in Nursing and Global Public Health, where she had the chance to study abroad in Accra, Ghana, and serve as a teacher's assistant at a non-profit called Street Girls Aid. Street Girls Aid is an organization that offers ante and postnatal care for pregnant teenagers, health education, and early childhood education for teenage girls and women. There, she saw the beauty and effectiveness of education and empowerment, and the necessity of knowledge to make well-informed decisions.
Through her nursing and public health experience, coupled with her growing knowledge pertaining to community health education, she hopes to create programs geared towards knowledge, empowerment, and increased self-efficacy towards making healthy decisions, while also tackling the more external and upstream factors that while beyond an individual's control, can still affect their health and quality of life.
My name is Katie Shillman, and I am a second year student in the M.S. in Community Health Education program. Originally from Bethesda, Maryland, I moved out west to attend UCLA and graduated in 2020 with a B.A. in Communications and Political Science. During my four years at UCLA, I became very involved in peer education groups on campus, such as Bruin Consent Coalition, Sexperts, and the Campus Assault Resources and Education Office. In these organizations, I helped design and lead workshops for a variety of student populations in order to prevent sexual and domestic violence. Arming fellow students with the knowledge they need to have safe and positive intimate relationships was an incredibly rewarding experience. However, I also became increasingly aware of the great shortcomings of health education for young people across our country. Therefore, I am particularly passionate about designing and implementing more comprehensive and inclusive sex and consent education programs to prevent violence, pregnancy, and the transmission of STIs/STDs. Realizing that I want to dedicate my life to this work is what brought me to Teachers College at Columbia University.
Community Health Education at Teachers College is an outstanding program that has already had a significant impact on my professional and personal journey. The classes are thought-provoking, eye-opening, and collaborative. Students and professors discuss the most pressing health issues facing our country today while simultaneously learning from each other’s unique perspectives and experiences. The professors are some of the most supportive, knowledgeable, and welcoming people I have had the honor of working with. It has been abundantly clear since my first day of classes that the professors want all of their students to succeed and that they see our potential to make large contributions to the field of public health. The guidance and encouragement they provide is unlike anything else I have experienced. For over 100 years, Teachers College has borne visionaries, activists, and leaders who have tirelessly committed themselves to making our world a better place. Likewise, the Community Health Education program is empowering me with the knowledge and resources I need to become a changemaker in public health.
My name is Katie Shillman, and I am a second year student in the M.S. in Community Health Education program. Originally from Bethesda, Maryland, I moved out west to attend UCLA and graduated in 2020 with a B.A. in Communications and Political Science. During my four years at UCLA, I became very involved in peer education groups on campus, such as Bruin Consent Coalition, Sexperts, and the Campus Assault Resources and Education Office. In these organizations, I helped design and lead workshops for a variety of student populations in order to prevent sexual and domestic violence. Arming fellow students with the knowledge they need to have safe and positive intimate relationships was an incredibly rewarding experience. However, I also became increasingly aware of the great shortcomings of health education for young people across our country. Therefore, I am particularly passionate about designing and implementing more comprehensive and inclusive sex and consent education programs to prevent violence, pregnancy, and the transmission of STIs/STDs. Realizing that I want to dedicate my life to this work is what brought me to Teachers College at Columbia University.
Community Health Education at Teachers College is an outstanding program that has already had a significant impact on my professional and personal journey. The classes are thought-provoking, eye-opening, and collaborative. Students and professors discuss the most pressing health issues facing our country today while simultaneously learning from each other’s unique perspectives and experiences. The professors are some of the most supportive, knowledgeable, and welcoming people I have had the honor of working with. It has been abundantly clear since my first day of classes that the professors want all of their students to succeed and that they see our potential to make large contributions to the field of public health. The guidance and encouragement they provide is unlike anything else I have experienced. For over 100 years, Teachers College has borne visionaries, activists, and leaders who have tirelessly committed themselves to making our world a better place. Likewise, the Community Health Education program is empowering me with the knowledge and resources I need to become a changemaker in public health.
We are delighted to announce the launch of our new online profiles for Doctoral Students at Teachers College.
Existing doctoral student profiles on the program website will be removed and replaced with profiles in the new format in November later this year.