Student Stories
Ann Hong
COCC Nursing student
Embarking on a second career as a registered nurse, Ann Hong found a perspective in her Public Health studies, including classes in Health Psychology and Intro to Health Care Systems, that not only elevated her education, but caused her to see her future profession in a new light.
"I feel that I have a better understanding of the structural and systemic inequities that contribute to patients' health, which enables me to be a more empathetic nurse and better patient advocate," she explains. "I also found the assignments to be very valuable experiences for not only the content, but also for learning new skills and resources that I've applied to my nursing classes."
"I loved their enthusiasm for public health, their real-life experiences working in public health, and their generosity to find educational opportunities outside the classroom."
Hong is currently working on attaining her RN license and plans to enroll in an RN-to-MSN (Master of Nursing) program. And gaining a stronger appreciation for the role of public health has inspired her to cast her career sights even further: Her long-term objective is to obtain a master's degree in public health and ultimately work in policy for a nonprofit.
Hong credits her COCC instructors with helping to shape this career view and direction. "I loved their enthusiasm for public health, their real-life experiences working in public health, and their generosity to find educational opportunities outside the classroom for students."
Scott Jones
Community Health Worker graduate
Peer support specialist
As a peer support specialist with the Deschutes County Public Health Department, Scott Jones is an essential guide for community members as they connect with a gamut of county health resources, such as medical appointments and health education. Embedded in a wraparound clinic of services — from behavioral health specialists to case managers — his role at the agency is front-line advocacy work that changes lives every day.
"We generally serve folks with a diagnosis of severe and persistent mental illness, often with co-occurring chronic health conditions like diabetes. Many, if not all, of our clients are under-resourced, have housing issues, or are homeless, struggle with transportation, and a host of other difficulties to overcome," he explains. The work involves compassion, care coordination, and constant teamwork, all centered on creating better health outcomes for individuals.
"I really loved the aspects of advocacy and activism that thread through much of the Community Health Worker class."
Jones' education through COCC's Community Health Worker (CHW) training, which prepares completers for state-registered CHW certification, readied him for an in-demand and crucial role in public health.
"I really loved the aspects of advocacy and activism that thread through much of the Community Health Worker class and continues in my other Health and Human Performance-focused courses," he adds. "Dr. (Sarah) Baron's enthusiasm, coupled with the training, really resonated with me and helped push me forward in making the decision to commit to getting my degree."
This new chapter for Jones, whose self-described "dynamic" resume includes Fire Science and EMS degrees through another community college, plus work in the fields of substance use recovery and harm reduction, "pulls all his past efforts into alignment." He is now working toward his Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree with an emphasis in Public Health.
"Public health is a great place for me because of my diverse background in health care while also allowing my passion for making our communities and country even better," he says. "Having the education and degree in public health will allow me to create even more impact via policy and management."
Collette Kokesh
Master of Public Health grad student, University of Maryland
As a high school student, Collette Kokesh felt most inspired by her human biology and nutrition classes — she knew early on that her future would somehow connect to those sciences. But coalescing those interests around a career wasn't apparent until she took several impactful classes at COCC.
"I think, a lot of times, especially in STEM courses, it's difficult to put things into the real world," she says. "Classes like Sustainable Food and Nutrition or Intro to Public Health — where I got connected to my practicum experience — consistently emphasized actually leaving campus, many times actually forcing me to do so for some assignments, and connecting with the world to learn more, rather than spend more time reading from our textbooks. I was really impressed that my instructors had so many connections to the community, and that our courses didn't feel like insulated academic bubbles because of it."
"It was a really magical feeling to be able to combine my passions with a potential career."
In particular, seeing the role of sustainable agriculture and its part in human health opened a new understanding for Kokesh. "It was the first time I could really feel myself be like, 'Yes, I can see myself doing work like this'…it was a really magical feeling to be able to combine my passions with a potential career," she adds. That insight of seeing public health as more nuanced and diverse than the role of epidemiology or working for government organizations served as a catalyst for Kokesh's next step upon graduating from COCC: transferring to Oregon State University for a bachelor's degree in nutrition and health sciences.
"My dream is to apply my background in nutrition science and my work experiences into the world of public health through improving access to food, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and promoting human rights," she says. "People from all different types of backgrounds can — and need to — work together with the public to improve food access and health, which was something I didn't realize was possible, let alone something that didn't require working in a laboratory or a fancy government organization."
Now a grad student in the Master of Public Health-Behavioral and Community Health program at the University of Maryland (one of three advanced-degree university offers she received), Kokesh reflects on the education that helped propel her: "I'm extremely excited for my future, and I thank COCC for the support and encouragement."