This content originally appeared on COSSPP’s Wicked Problems, Wicked Solutions Blog and is the work of the individual authors sharing their research, expertise, and experience and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, Florida State University, or any other agency, institution, or entity.
What department are you a graduate student in?
I am a graduate student in the Department of Public Health under the College of Social Science and Public Policy.
Why did you decide to go to graduate school?
I wanted a change. Up until I started attending college my interests were within STEM, mostly because I wanted to go to Medical School. When I realized that my passion was not in medical practice, but in global health and sustainability, I was already done with my undergraduate studies. Graduate school provides me with the opportunity to refocus my career interests and enter the field I want to be in.
Did your interests change throughout your program?
My interests changed throughout my undergraduate career. Now that I am in graduate school my interest has not changed but I have gained a better understanding of what I want to do and how I would be able to do that. My emphasis is on the nexus of equity, health, and sustainability.
What do you want to do with your advanced degree?
I hope to leverage my knowledge and degree, along with the experiences that I collect along the way to pursue a Ph.D in Environmental health with an emphasis in equity, and sustainability. Once I am done with school I would like to focus on sustainable development in underserved areas with an emphasis on equity and health.
Juan A. Argüelles Ortiz is a Master’s student in the Department of Public Health at FSU.