Emily Edwards named ‘This Is Public Health’ Ambassador
Emily Edwards, Master of Public Health student, has a habit of saying yes to any opportunity that comes her way.
“I just say yes and figure it out later,” Edwards said with a laugh.
This willingness to jump at any opportunity led her to become part of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health’s ‘This Is Public Health’ Ambassador program for the 2024-2025 school year. She also agreed to be the Treasurer of the Public Health Student Association for the upcoming year and is interning at the American Cancer Society this summer. Edwards rarely says no when presented with an opportunity – or an obstacle.
Don’t sell yourself short
Finding a paid summer internship in her field was tricky for Edwards and many of her classmates. She worked hard and started early in the year but still found herself without a lot of options as the spring semester came to a close. Finally, she found an opening listed on LinkedIn for an Evidence Synthesis Intern at the American Cancer Society. She went for it, despite not having connections to the organization through the school or other networks.
While she didn’t have systematic review experience, the program was looking for a masters student, and Edwards has a unique concentration in cancer health equity and a clear desire to learn. It worked. Edwards landed the paid internship and got to work.
A unique concentration
The cancer health equity concentration is what brought Edwards to VCU for her MPH in the first place. As she completed undergrad at George Mason University, she was considering her options to continue her education. She could continue at GMU’s new College of Public Health, but it didn’t offer cancer health equity. In fact, VCU’s School of Public Health is the only university to offer it in the country. Edwards also had the pull of home calling her. She grew up in Richmond and has family who attended and worked at VCU, making the pull even stronger. What’s more, she could tell VCU had a commitment to the people of Richmond, her own community.
Community and collaboration are important for Edwards. When she was nominated to be the Treasurer of the PHSA, she said thought it was funny, “because I’m not good at finances. But I learned there is more to it.” There’s lots of collaborating, planning and organizing to engage students within MPH and school-wide. “COVID took a toll on the community aspects [of going to] school so I’m excited to engage the new cohort and see what we can do,” Edwards said.
As if that’s not enough to fill her time this fall, Edwards is presenting at the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting in October. Using some data from her advisor and mentor, Sunny Jung Kim, Ph.D., Edwards analyzed the differences in information-seeking about medical cannabis between cancer survivors and healthcare providers. She’s looking forward to sharing her findings information seeking behaviors, survivor cannabis use status, and provider prescribing behaviors.
Use your network and ask for help
It may seem like Edwards is fearless but she admits she is able to do so much of this because of the support she receives from VCU and her growing network. She said it can be intimidating, starting graduate school, but that’s the case for most students.
“You realize everyone is smart and driven and wants to be there. So take the opportunities that are presented to you. If there’s something you’re uncomfortable with or you think you can’t do, you probably can. There’s so much support as a student. I didn’t do any of this by myself.” She especially credits Katherine Peterman, MPH education coordinator and her advisor Dr. Kim, for their encouragement and support on each of these accomplishments.
Categories NewsAs a student, be willing to invest in yourself to get what you want and to develop yourself as a professional, knowing you’re going to receive help.
Emily Edwards
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