MPH Monthly: August 2024
Moving, exploring, and getting acquainted with the Bay!
Welcome!
Hello everyone! I hope this newsletter finds you well. It's been an exciting month here in Berkeley, and I'm thrilled to share some updates with you all. Each one of you has impacted my life and shared a desire to stay in touch during this next season. I figured what better way to do that than through a monthly newsletter! Follow along as I share about my journey through this crazy, hectic month called August.
Life Updates
What I’m Doing
This journey starts with an empty apartment in Los Angeles, the smell of cardboard boxes and cleaning supplies, and a way-too-full Uhaul. With Siri’s toys all packed away, he tapped into his patriotic spirit to cheer on Katie Ledecky as he waited to go to his new home.
The next day, we cautiously backed the Uhaul out of my parents’ narrow driveway and started the 400 mile trip toward Berkeley. Siri decided to sit atop his throne in the backseat, and—much to his mom’s dismay—meowed the entire 8-hour drive.
We then hauled a 1 bedroom apartment’s worth of furniture and luggage up 3 flights. Siri has been enjoying Berkeley, especially his large, sunny windows with plenty of wildlife to watch and hunt. So much so, that he’s decided to pursue his degree in Litter-ature!
After saying goodbye to my parents, Josiah and I began to explore the surrounding areas and started to fall in love with the vibrant community. I’ve reconnected with old friends who are now in the Bay Area and have gotten to know new friends, as well.
Since settling in, I was privileged to attend Summer Seminar: a 4 day-long program to prepare URM, FGEN, and historically excluded students for their most challenging coursework (e.g. quantitative research methods, coding software, biostatistics, epidemiology, and writing for graduate school), participate in a cohort experience, build a sense of community, and familiarize oneself with campus and resources available.1
The following week, my peers and I in the Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health program attended a Leadership Retreat required by our training grant. During this time, we learned about the MCH competencies, shared our life journey maps, and got to know each other better. As you can tell from our first assignment below, this was VERY rigorous and challenging work. 😜
What I’m Learning
NorCal beaches are NOT like SoCal beaches. Note to self: pack a puffer jacket, beanie, and mittens.
Cultural Humility: One of the several MCH leadership competencies.
Crow Pose: I’ve conquered this yoga inversion! Also known as Kakasana in Sanskrit.
Recommendations
This month, I recommend 'Braiding Sweetgrass' by botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer. It's a compelling read on the intersection of ecology and indigenous ways of knowing—exploring the relationships between humans and nature.2
Trivia
Q: Do you know why these doors on the Berkeley campus are missing handles?
A: During the Free Speech Movement led by Mario Savio from 1964-65, protesters chained the door handles of the chancellor’s office closed until the chancellor listened to their demands. Following this episode, campus authorities removed door handles from the building to prevent a similar scenario from happening in the future!3 You can learn more about Mario and the Free Speech Movement here.
Food for Thought 🍏
Shifting from “Trauma-Informed” to “Healing-Centered” Care
A healing centered approach to addressing trauma views those exposed to trauma as agents in the creation of their own well-being rather than victims of traumatic events. It is holistic—involving culture, spirituality, civic action, and collective healing—and requires a different question that moves beyond “what happened to you” to “what’s right with you.”4
Looking Ahead
In the coming month, I’ll finally dive into orientation and my coursework, give apartment decorating updates, and start planning a small research project. Stay tuned!
Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass. First edition. Minneapolis, Minnesota, Milkweed Editions.
Ginwright, S. (2018). The future of healing: Shifting from trauma informed care to healing centered engagement. Occasional paper, 25, 25-32.