SPEA Excellence
Kimberly Patterson
Undergraduate, Environmental Science and Health
Well on her way to earning a degree in pharmacy from Northern Kentucky University, Kimberly Patterson remembers vividly the day an academic advisor told her something she wasn't ready to hear.
"I was at my wit's end with the pharmacy major because I just didn't feel fulfilled," explains Patterson. "When I told the advisor everything I wanted to do, she speculated that pharmacy probably wasn't the right career for me. Though I was devastated, it turned out to be one of the best days of my life."
Kimberly Patterson, Undergraduate, Environmental Science and Health
Pairing her concern for preventing diseases like AIDS with a passion for advocacy, Patterson turned to pursuing a degree in environmental science and health through SPEA at IUPUI. The fact that she'd never heard of the major before coming to the Indianapolis campus didn't deter Patterson, who soon realized it was what she was meant to do.
"This major is definitely more along the lines of what I want to do with my life," says Patterson, who hopes to one day work on health-related causes internationally. "Encompassing more of the social aspects of health and opportunities to serve as an advocate, it's really everything I want all rolled into one."
Patterson will get her first real taste of the work she's aiming for this summer in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As an intern with the U.S. Public Health Service's Junior Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program (JRCOSTEP), Patterson will be working alongside experts from the Indian Health Service Division, studying epidemiology and health issues of concern to New Mexico's Pueblo Indians. Patterson found out about the paid internship through SPEA and is the first student from IUPUI to participate in this particular program.
For Patterson, the internship is the perfect way to conclude her undergraduate education. Scheduled to graduate in May 2008, the Kentucky native has many positive things to say about her experience at IUPUI - beginning with her initial visits with a SPEA academic advisor who charted a step-by-step educational course for her to follow. Although most of her pharmacy courses didn't transfer, Patterson was able to make up the lost time very quickly, thanks to efficient course planning.
"The assistance I received from my SPEA advisor really helped nail down my decision to come here," Patterson says. "When we first met she'd already reviewed my history and laid out a plan for how I could get accepted to the school. During our next meeting, every course was mapped out through graduation to keep me on track. I didn't lose focus the whole time."
While eager to begin her career, Patterson still has one goal she'd like to accomplish before pursuing work overseas - earning a SPEA's master's degree.