Kennedy Sawicki

What inspired you to study public health? 

My first passion has always been educating others on topics I am knowledgeable about, including genetics, so when I realized that I can do just that in public health, I was all in.

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

Getting to be the first public health genetics TIPH Ambassador has probably been my most rewarding experience so far. I had the chance to do what I love most, educate others on public health genetics, through this ambassador program. Doing a social media takeover was so fun and my project will be during Public Health Genetics & Genomics Week in May where I will be on a student panel answering questions about being a public health genetics student.

Where did you do your practicum? What was it about? 

First, I did some work with Kids’ Health Connections in Detroit, MI doing work with children and their families to reduce and prevent childhood obesity. We had a community garden program in which we tended to the garden, planted in the garden, and learned about different aspects of healthy eating. I created a photobook of the participants in the program so they had something tangible afterwards to see their and the garden’s progress. I also worked with the Michigan Public Health Institute Center for Strategic Health Partnerships on a research project assessing genetics providers’ knowledge of and perceived barriers to implementing trauma-informed care in genetics clinics. I created a recruitment flyer for this study, attended monthly workgroup meetings, and helped in facilitating focus groups.

What do you hope to accomplish in your career? 

I hope to increase awareness about public health genetics screening programs (newborn screening, cancer screening, etc.) for both providers and patients and be a mentor for others wanting to do public health genetics education.

Advice: 

Try everything. Public health is such a broad field and there are so many different ways you can be a part of public health. Find something you truly love within public health by taking different courses or getting involved with various organizations.

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