As part of our new monthly spotlight blog series, we will be featuring students who are current members of our AHEC Alumni Board.
For this month’s spotlight, we are highlighting a student who participated in our Community Health Internship Program (CHIP) and currently serves as the Northeast Regional Representative on the AHEC Alumni Board. Learn more about Emily Terlap’s involvement with AHEC and her plans for the future.
Where are you from?
Neenah, Wisconsin
What school are you attending/did you attend?
I am currently in graduate school at the University of Arizona (online), and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for my undergraduate degree. I am currently studying Applied Epidemiology.
Where do you work/what is your profession?
I work at the Community Blood Center as a Donor Technician, where I screen potential blood donors and perform phlebotomy during their donation.
What are your hobbies, interests, or activities?
I love to read, hike, craft, coach swimming, lift, run, and watch movies.
How were you affected by your participation in an AHEC program?
My CHIP Internship at the Winnebago County Health Department introduced me to my interest in public health. I loved meeting all the WCHD employees and hearing how they ended up in public health. They were all so innovative and taught me a lot about how to design and implement community initiatives and programs. I was also able to learn about the women’s health programs in my community, such as the Wisconsin Well Woman Program, which showed me how I could make a difference in the health of women in a way that isn’t becoming a doctor. My AHEC program played a huge role in my decision to pursue a Master of Public Health degree.
Why did you decide to serve on the AHEC Alumni board of directors?
I decided to serve on the AHEC Alumni board because I really enjoyed my AHEC program and wanted to work toward building a community among other alumni. I am also very interested in public health and want to encourage other students and young professionals to work in harness the skills they learn in their AHEC program to serve their communities and get involved with public health initiatives in their communities.
What’s something you hope to accomplish or impact during your term?
I hope to connect with other Northeast alumni and plan at least two events to encourage networking among alumni and with community members.
What would you like other AHEC Alumni members to know about the AHEC Alumni association?
I would like other AHEC Alumni members to know that they are already connected to so many incredible students, healthcare professionals, and other community leaders just by being an AHEC Alumni. I hope that they can connect with these people and become comfortable using their AHEC network to meet new people, gain new skills, and grow in their career and personal lives.
What are your future plans? How do you want to impact the health or Wisconsin?
I plan to attend medical school and hope to specialize in Obstetrics and Gynecology. I am also planning to complete my Master of Public Health in order to become a physician with an eye for ways to improve health at the community level. I hope to work with under-served and minority populations in order to improve education about sexual and reproductive health and pregnancy. I want to help girls and women in Wisconsin learn more about their body and be able to exercise control of their health and well being.
If you have participated in any of AHEC’s signature programs (at least 40 hours), and are interested in learning more about our AHEC Alumni, please visit: https://ahec.wisc.edu/ahec-alumni/