A Wide Open Future

Amanda

Hi Everyone!  I am one of SPH’s newest bloggers, and I hail from local Tecumseh, Michigan.  While it may  be fairly close to my hometown, after four years in a tiny undergraduate school, the huge University of Michigan is sure to be bursting with new opportunities and experiences!

 A little bit about myself:

I graduated this past May from Hillsdale College with a degree in Biology, and now I’m looking ahead to concentrating in Epidemiology with a global health focus.   I also recently got married just two months ago!  Needless to say, there will be many changes this coming year.

I must admit that as excited as I am to be studying Public Health here at Michigan, I’m just as excited to be running for the varsity track and cross country teams here.  Running has always been a passion of mine; I love the competition, the camaraderie, and the feeling of really pushing yourself to the limit.  So even though this year will be pretty hectic trying to balance both school and athletics, it will also be very rewarding to see what I can accomplish in both!

Goals for the Year:

1. Balance: I know spending 30+ hours a week on training as well as being a full-time graduate student will be tough, and on top of that being involved in research and many of the other opportunities that will present themselves over the year.  So I won’t be able to commit to everything, I’ll have to really manage my time well, and I’ll have to learn to say that dreadful word “no.”  If there’s one thing I’ve learned from undergrad, it’s to commit to one or two things and put yourself whole-heartedly into those activities!
2. Challenge:  I didn’t come to the University of Michigan looking for an easy graduate degree; I came here because I knew I would be challenged in the classroom, in my opinions, and  in my research.  I want to challenge myself to think critically, develop my own thoughts and ideas, and put myself in situations outside my comfort zone.
3. Immersion: I want to become a complete Public Health nerd  I want to learn all I can to understand what public health means, how it plays a role in daily living, and how I can contribute to improving it.  I want to be as involved in my education as possible to get the most out of Michigan during my two years here.

I’m looking forward to meeting everyone soon!  Here’s to a great start to the semester!

Tags: public health, running, varsity athletics