Cautious Hope
Irving Suarez
2nd Year MPH Health Behavior, Health Education Student
“There’s always more” is a common phrase in my vocabulary. It’s usually paired with a deep sigh as I find the energy to continue doing the work. To continue addressing the endless list of tasks that need to be crossed off.
Truth be told, only the promise of a sweet treat is what gets me going these days.
It’s not that I don’t have a passion for the work. I do.
It’s why I sought out these opportunities and responsibilities; to equip myself with the appropriate skills needed to help others.
Even when I knew that public health was not a leveled playing field, I decided to pursue this path. And if you know me, it makes sense. With a passion for helping others and liking long odds, me and public health were a good match.
Except the field has been flipped upside down. There’s no ground to stand on. And I am clinging on.
It’s fairly bleak, and dare I say hopeless. And as I cling on and wonder if it would be easier to just let go, I continue to search for a tangible next step.
And as I prepare for this deployment, I feel a sense of cautious hope.
Maybe this trip will offer not just solutions, but clarity to the questions I have been wrestling with.
Maybe it will provide insight into how we rebuild when the ground beneath us has shifted.
Maybe this is where I re-find hope.