Presenter: Dhara Patel, Public Health Science, Global Public Health Scholars
For my practicum, I was the Events Coordinator for the Public Health campaign for MaryPIRG Students at the University of Maryland. I ran phonebanks and tabling events aimed at increasing student support for public health legislation and spreading awareness on public health topics that fellow students deem important. A big way that public health can be improved is through passing legislation, whether that be state, federal, or even at the local university level. The work that I did at MaryPIRG Students allowed me to become an active participant in pushing for such legislation in order to enact meaningful public health change. We were able to pass statewide legislation restricting the use of PFAS, which are harmful chemicals to humans, as well as bees. I learned that it is important for individuals to become involved in the push for legislative change, as each voice combined makes authority figures aware of student support
for an issue that we are passionate about.