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Aashika Desai
Major: Public Health with a Global health emphasis
Hometown:Phoenix, Arizona
Majors / Minors:Major: Public Health with a Global health emphasis
Why choose the UA / What’s awesome about the UA:I chose MEZCOPH because I align well with its mission of promoting the health and wellness of individuals and communities globally. Volunteering at Casa Alitas Migrant Shelter and various pop-up clinics has taught me how to have empathy and showcase compassion and respect to all patients of all backgrounds, overall aiming to improve patient lifestyle and wellness.
Why did you choose public health?I chose public health so I could learn more about community health and community dentistry as I am a pre-dental student, applying to dental school. I wanted to learn more about the intersection between health, health sciences, and dentistry specifically. I also loved the collaborative aspect of community needs assessments and group projects found within the major, learning from diverse student bodies with varied perspectives.
Fun Fact about you (hobbies, trivia, etc.):Indian Classical Singing Indian Classical Dance (Kathak) Bollywood Dance Team (Om Shanti UofA) Tennis, Badminton, Pickleball Honorary clubs on campus such as SMORES, LOCKS, and Mortar Board National Honor Society Delta Delta Sigma Pre-Dental Honor Society Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Health Fraternity.
One piece of advice for incoming students (transfer and freshmen):Reach out of your comfort zone, reach out to faculty to find internship and job opportunities even as undergrad students. find graduate student mentors to help find future careers post-grad in the field of Public Health