I AM FPHLP 2019: Kyle Sorbe

Kyle Sorbe was part of the 2019 FPHLP cohort. He is a Junior majoring in Political Science and minoring in Public Health at the University of Minnesota Twin-Cities after transferring from the University of South Dakota. During his summer in FPHLP, Kyle interned at Henry Ford Health Systems in Detroit in the Generation With Promise: Youth Wellness Ambassadors Program.

Kyle says that the opportunities in public health seemed hidden to him before FPHLP. Students majoring in biology pre-med knew the exact name of their career – doctor, physician’s assistant, dentist etc. and political science majors knew their career names – lawyer, campaign manager, politician, but public health didn’t have obvious career opportunities, and FPHLP promised to provide him with that, and he says FPHLP delivered. He learned that public health is expanding and is all around us in every sector of the economy. Without FPHLP, he would know nothing compared to now!

FPHLP provided Kyle an atmosphere to ask the tough questions; the kinds of questions he was too scared to ask at his home university, whether out of fear of not being politically correct or for asking a question with an obvious answer. FPHLP’s expansive public health department provided Kyle with opportunities to meet with faculty he would never have imagined he could meet until a master’s program, and they instilled in him the confidence he needed to change the face of healthcare as we know it. FPHLP solidified his personal goals, as well as his career goals, while meeting lifelong friends from around the nation.

Initially, Kyle struggled with imposter syndrome. He did not tell anyone, thinking it was just him, and decided to keep it to himself and eventually it will go away. Ms. Welch, however, explained imposter syndrome, and discussed ways to combat it. FPHLPers each shared their own experiences with imposter syndrome and made Kyle feel part of a group that truly understands him and his experiences. Kyle says LGBTQ+ youth are often left out of the definition of imposter syndrome, but never once did anyone ever consider him out of the group, and FPHLP was the most accepting and welcoming environment he had ever been in.

Kyle is currently trying to find a professor to work on research exploring the relationship between advertising of the ACA and enrollment numbers in counties across the US, to see what health outcomes the media may have an effect on either indirectly or directly. He is also interning for United States Senator Tina Smith working with her healthcare policy advisors.

Kyle plans to finish his B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Public Health, spend two years working as a Paralegal (after constant debate at FPHLP whether or not he wanted to take time off) before attending Law School to receive his JD and become a healthcare attorney or civil rights lawyer.

Kyle’s advice for someone who is considering applying to FPHLP is to “Do it – the application is long, the logistics become tumultuous, and often you think ‘what’s the use, I won’t get in’, but that should not stop you from applying for the opportunity of a lifetime!”