Sarah Babcock was a North Florida Health Corps AmeriCorps member at Children's Medical Services during the 2009-2010 service term!
What did you do after AmeriCorps and what are you doing now?
After AmeriCorps, I got my Master's in Public Health in International Emergency Management at Tulane. For a year after my MPH, I worked as an HIV case manager. I currently run the Emergency Preparedness program for the New Orleans Health Department.
How did AmeriCorps benefit your future goals, in the job field or academic world? What skills did you gain from your year of service?
AmeriCorps was my first full-time position working in an office and learning soft skills like communication, how to work with a variety of people and how to handle office politics which are skills needed at every job. AmeriCorps also gave me an overview of public health so that even today working in a specialized field of public health I understand how my work fits into the bigger picture of public health activities in my city. I also learned the value of public health agencies run by the state, county, city and private sectors.
What was your favorite component of the NFHC program, outside of your daily host site service? (E.g. service projects, committees, member meetings etc.)
I loved my committee which was focused on teaching the NFHC about public health initiatives. It gave me a chance to research unique areas of public health that I never would have learned about otherwise.
What was your favorite thing to do in Jacksonville?
Hanging out at Jacksonville Beach.
What is one piece of advice you would give to a current/future NFHC member?
While changing the world is a great goal, it will not be accomplished during your 1 year in NFHC. Focus on changing yourself and gaining the skills and relationships that you can use to change the world in the future.
Sarah Babcock was a North Florida Health Corps AmeriCorps member at Children's Medical Services during the 2009-2010 service term!