Anna-Michelle McSorley

What inspired you to study public health?

The answer to this question is always – to help people.

What has been the single most rewarding experience of your career/studies so far?

The most rewarding experience in my public health career thus far has been my role in community organizing on behalf of a non-profit policy advocacy organization in Los Angeles focused on advancing federal and state policies that promote reproductive justice within the Latina/x community. Truly, working in partnership with the community and cultivating grassroots support for policies that promote health within the Latina/x community has been thrilling.

What is the one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were starting out in public health?

Public health is in everything! I wish someone would have told me that public health is about more than health education, promoting preventative clinical care, and tracking infectious diseases. While these efforts are absolutely necessary, the health and well-being of populations transcends all fields and disciplines and requires intersectional efforts. Almost anything you want to study can be linked back to public health – so go for it.

What do you think is the biggest challenge that the public health field should be focusing on?

Public health should be focusing on the effect of local, state, and federal policies on the health of communities.