My name is Nicholle Cross, I am a Chicago native with the desire to improve lives, eat great and travel. I really enjoy experiencing new things and helping people to live healthier, more fruitful lives (so if I could figure out a way to do both that would be a dream come true). After living/visiting various major cities within the U.S., the differences in culture, cuisine, attitudes, metro systems, and practices were apparent and embraced. One thing that each city had in common was the presence of health and social inequities, disparities, food deserts, and homelessness among certain populations. It has opened my eyes to the fact that despite our many differences we all face similar adversities, and it will take ordinary (yet outstanding) citizens like my fellow AmeriCorps members and I to serve toward the change that we seek. To begin my journey to becoming an advocate for health equity and change, I decided to get my Masters in Public Health. After graduation I wanted to apply some of my new knowledge to real world intervention and also gain some experience, and NHC has become that and more for me.
I am currently serving as a NHC Chicago member and Health Educator at Respiratory Health Association. My role provides asthma and e-cigarette/vaping training for students, staff, and parents in underserved communities. This year due to COVID, we slightly switched gears and focused on education surrounding COVID-19, lung health and vaccine development. My personal overarching goal is to help close the gap in health disparities among heavily impacted communities and put smiles on the faces of those I encounter.
