Anticipation and Reflection: Preparing for Our Community Work in Bexar County
Sadia Islam
Senior in the Undergraduate School of Public Health
Hi everyone! My name is Sadia Islam, and I am an undergraduate senior in the Public Health Sciences program. As I reflect on our upcoming trip to Bexar County in Texas, I am filled with a myriad of emotions.
I’m excited to finally meet the individuals from the Southern Central Area AHEC that we have been collaborating with to create our survey, focus group, and neighborhood scan materials. I’m also looking forward to meeting the community that we have been working hard to prepare ourselves for. However, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.
The nervousness I feel is due to the anticipation. Will we be able to ethically serve this community? Will we be able to deliver something meaningful to the members? How do I ensure I’m truly listening to the residents of Bexar County and allowing them to lead our findings.
This experience will show me a side of myself I’ve never tapped into before. My peers and I will be actively conducting a needs assessment, a fundamental tool that guides future programs and policies. This will be an invaluable learning moment, and I hope we all do right by the community we are entering for a short period of time.