[M]ost children when asked what they want to be when they grow up respond with some of the answers that we are all familiar with. “I want to be a doctor”, “I want to be a lawyer” and “I want to play football”. Till this day I can still vividly remember my 2nd grade teacher asking me that question. Being the shy kid I was at the time I shrugged and said I didn’t know as a way to escape the pressure that comes with answering questions while the world, or in this case, second grade classmates watched. This answer was deemed unacceptable by my teacher so she framed the question a different way. “What makes you happy Udo?” After a few moments I responded with, “Helping people”.
The goal of helping others and having a positive impact on someone’s well being has led me to this point. Aiding the public in the prevention of disease and attainment of optimum health is the core motivating factor that has driven me to attain my Master’s in Public Health. My core values have lead me to this point. The educational qualifications I am seeking are tools that will help me achieve my full professional and personal potential.
After receiving my MPH I hope to attain a position in the field that affords me the opportunity to work directly with a population in need. Being able to have a direct and measurable impact on the population I serve is important to me. In August of 2011 I began my year of service with the Atlanta Health Corps, which is a public health component of the Americorps program. During my service I have had the opportunity to work in both the non-profit and government sectors. These experiences have showed me that having a sustainable impact can be achieved in any environment as long as there is passion and dedication to those that you serve. Receiving an MPH will equip me with the tools to enter any public health domain. I hope to become a leader among my peers within the public health community with a specific focus on infectious disease and also will look to conduct meaningful research within the infectious disease realm.
I did not immediately apply for graduate school following my graduation from Georgia Southern University. Having this period of time between my educational endeavors has allowed me to develop a path and a plan for my professional goals. I know looking back now that I would not have been ready to undertake the rigors of graduate study immediately following the completion of my bachelor’s degree. Almost four years later I feel that I am finally where I need to be. I have a passion for learning and a hunger for growth and I am truly excited about the path that I am on. For as much as this scholarship can do for me, you also will benefit from enabling a passionate, determined, and prepared student to further his goal of improving the lives of others.
We are proud to announce Udo Obiechefu is one of the current JustJobs Scholarship finalists. Vote for his essay (Facebook ‘Like’ and other social media sharing options in left column), click the ‘star’ just above comments section below, and/or leave comments of support to help us with the selection process.