Presenter: Alyssa Leventhal, Special Education & Human Development, Global Public Health Scholars
For my practicum project, I had an internship with an organization called F the 15. F the 15 aims to empower students in navigating their college campus in a healthy manner through social media. F the 15 was founded by two nutritionists and uses Instagram to reach college students. With almost 10,000 followers, the organization posts daily tips to assist students in avoiding stress-related to mental, physical, and social health while in college. My internship experience was virtual, and I primarily helped with the behind-the-scenes activities of the Instagram page. I was also in contact with ambassadors from over 50 college campuses. I conducted surveys to generate informative and meaningful content for the social media page. Additionally, I led several information sessions for the ambassadors and served as a mentor for those in need. This organization is directly related to public health, as it strives to educate college students on how to achieve balanced lifestyles and improve their overall health. I learned how powerful social media can be in distributing information. I also found it interesting to discover how many college students were unaware of the resources on their campuses. I felt connected to this internship because I value the balanced lifestyle that I have been able to navigate at the University of Maryland's campus and enjoy helping my peers!