AmeriCorps member boosts academic career with Public Health Corps

Haley (middle) and her site staff at their table at the Hmong Explore Your Parks event they hosted

Coming from a long family line of nurses, a career in the health promotion field has always been a goal of Haley’s. Before serving in Public Health Corps, she earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology, interned with the Wyoming Department of Public Health, and served as Director of Wellness and Sustainability in student government. 

While Public Health Corps is just one step in Haley’s career plan, it gave her new experiences that have already paid off – like helping her earn a $30,000 scholarship to the University of Minnesota School of Public Health! 

Project Coordination

Service gave Haley the chance to get hands-on experience. “The trainings gave me a really strong foundation and built on what I already had from my bachelor’s, on what public health is and how it can be applied in the field,” she says. 

One project Haley is particularly proud of is a food insecurity data analysis for Hennepin Technical College. She analyzed survey data and presented it to their administrators. “As soon as I presented it, they took it in and started spitting out ideas on how they can improve their campus, what resources they have, how they can get the information out better, who they can share the data with, and it was all really rewarding. 

Another project she completed during her service was planning a Hmong Explore Your Parks event to promote recreation, walking, biking, and healthy living. There were music performances, yard games, archery, bike safety tune-ups, and much more! Over 400 people attended, and she gathered important data about making walking more accessible to different communities. 

Career and Academic Development 

Thanks to Public Health Corps, Haley has figured out what specific field of health promotion she wants to pursue. While Project Coordinators get to work on their own projects at their sites, they also get to see what other projects their sites are working on. After observing her supervisor work on a project about the recent legalization of recreational cannabis use in Minnesota, she wants to focus more on the governmental side of public health. She is interested in how policy and laws can affect health and the preventative measures we can take to stop chronic disease before it starts. 

In August 2023, Haley will start the next chapter of her career and pursue a Master of Public Health with a focus in community health promotion at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. She will be part of their first ever Public Health Traineeship scholarship program that includes a $30,000 scholarship as well as a three-month internship with the Minnesota Department of Public Health. 

Serving as a Public Health Project Coordinator was a huge asset on Haley’s application for the traineeship. “I got to do community engagement, I got to analyze stakeholders and determine how to engage them. It was a lot of different work,” she says. “This learning opportunity has been such an expansive one. It’s given me the opportunity to see everything.” 

About Public Health Corps 

You can gain experience in the public health field too! Public Health Corps needs over 90 more people to serve communities and build capacity at local organizations across Minnesota. Members of Public Health Corps receive a biweekly living stipend as well as an education award up to $4,800 when they complete their service term. Apply by October 4 to begin late October! Visit Ampact.US/public-health to learn more.