I recently graduated from California State University Los Angeles, School of Public Health and I am a first-generation college student. Currently, I am a MiOra intern working on women’s health topics, focusing on ovarian and uterine cancer disparities among minority women.

None of my family members or friends have had cancer, but other people important to me, like my teachers and mentors, have had cancer. I recall that their main challenge was not just the stress of dealing with the disease itself, but the difficulty accessing care.

The Importance of Health Education

Fortunately, my family has access to health care through government and school programs. However, my family’s primary barrier to healthcare is their lack of health literacy. My parents immigrated from a country that didn’t value community health education. During my internship at MiOra, I realized that communities and individuals can benefit from proper health education and certain people may be more susceptible to the lack of health literacy. At MiOra we work with low-income minority women and educate them on health care and clinical trial access.

The preventative nature of Public Health and its goal to improve the quality of life and protecting populations draw me to this field. At the same time, it is challenging to address the needs of a whole community with wide range of diversity, however, Public Health experts become aware of the gaps only after some people experience disparities.

A Focus on Public Health

My long-term goal is to make Public Health more impactful. I want to contribute to the research and knowledge that will be used for population health. I hope to continue this work in my community and improve the health literacy of people like my parents.

Wilber Cornejo is a graduate of California University Los Angeles, School of Public Health.