How Was Texas?! : Reflections on Community, Growth, and Public Health
Sadia Islam
Public Health Undergraduate Senior
Whenever someone asks me, “How was Texas?!” I’m instantly flooded with a whirlwind of emotions. My time working in San Antonio’s East Side was more than just a trip, it was an experience that will stay with me throughout my personal and professional journey.
Before heading to San Antonio, I was filled with questions and uncertainty. Would I be able to contribute meaningfully to data analysis? How would I assist in collecting qualitative data? Would we have enough time to get everything done? Beyond the logistics, I was also stepping into a community that was entirely unfamiliar to me, different from my own in many ways.
We had multiple conversations about checking our biases at the door, but being in the community made me actively reflect on my own assumptions in real time. I had to observe, listen, and absorb without preconceived notions. It was a humbling process, one that deepened my understanding of what it truly means to engage with a community.
In the classroom, we analyze case studies, discuss systemic issues, and make inferences. But this experience? It was public health in action. It was real. It was community-led. Instead of us dictating what should be done, we let the community guide us. After all, they are the experts in their own lived experiences. They know their challenges, their needs, and their strengths.
I witnessed grassroots efforts tackling hunger, reducing the spread of HIV, educating youth, supporting families through tax season, and so much more. It was incredible to see how much power exists within a community when people come together to uplift one another.
The most profound realization I had on this trip? This community, and many others like it, does not need us. They are already spearheading change, already full of knowledge and resources. Our role as outsiders, present only for a short time, wasn’t to take charge but to support. To ask: How can we help? To listen, to learn, and to amplify the work already being done.
True community is powerful. It’s beautiful. And in San Antonio, I saw firsthand how people, when united, can create extraordinary support systems for one another. I left Texas with a deeper appreciation for community work—not as something we do for people, but something we do with them.