Hey, isn't it supposed to be summer? Lazy, relaxing summer? Apparently that's not happening for Emily or me -- and probably not for any of you who are job-searching or job-starting. I totally wish I had an answer to the what's-your-pick-me-up question, but as a non-soda- and non-hot-beverage-drinker, I'm afraid I've got nothin' (and, as an always hungry person, not about to try out the new no-eating-to-reset-your-sleep-clock plan...even though I could use a good reset).
So my best bet, I think, is to focus on one thing at a time because when I really think about my overwhelming to-do list, I actually like everything on it!
The Stressor of the Week last week was definitely the courseload I took at the University of Minnesota's Summer Public Health Institute. It was awesome -- as a (quasi) public health professional, I got a sweet scholarship that covered the full cost of two courses, and I'll get to start out grad school in the fall with a 1.5-credit head start. Not bad.
Oh, and I loved the classes:
Risk Communication for Underserved and Limited English Populations - I think it can be a little unimaginable to a native English speaker of the so-called "dominant culture" that a tornado could strike, a hurricane could approach or a bridge could collapse and you wouldn't immediately know what's going on and what you're supposed to do (whether or not you're willing and able to do it is another story). This class was centered around a made-up scenario involving a possible outbreak of bird flu and how to communicate important information across cultures and languages. It was team-taught by four people: the director of Emergency Community Health Outreach (ECHO), a media relations person from the Minnesota Department of Health, an intercultural communication expert and a public health faculty member -- and it was AWESOME.
Culturally Based Community Health Immersion: Focus on African American Communities - Although there was a short lecture, this class revolved around "field trips" to two fantastic organizations that focus on health, heavy on the wellness aspect. The Phillips-Powderhorn Cultural Wellness Center focuses on community togetherness and support to revive cultural health practices, and its staff who led our class discussion were phenomenal. NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center, though a medical clinic, is a holistic health campus, where patients can also get dental and optical care and behavioral health services, enroll in the WIC program or access a food shelf and participate in many innovative community programs. I left feeling re-energized about the fact that I'm usually frustrated because I want to do everything at the same time -- because trust me, these people are doing it.
The courses were good for me professionally and also academically -- something I didn't realize (until now!) I missed for the past year. They'll help me in the little time I have left of my job and definitely in grad school in the fall. And maybe even just as a person.
