Looking Forward to Service, Learning, and Sunshine
Sydney Gurecki
2nd Year MPH Health Behavior, Health Equity Student
In two months, I will be headed to the Caribbean Island of Grenada through an experiential learning program offered by the Public Health Action Support Team. As a second-year master’s student in the department of Health Behavior and Health Equity, I am especially excited to learn more about health equity in the context of Grenada’s culture. Amidst the gloom of early “spring” in Michigan, the prospect of going to a warm, sunny, and beautiful island adds to my anticipation. At the same time, I’m feeling some trepidation about our upcoming trip.
My team and I will be working with the Ministry of Education to analyze Grenada's 2018-2023 school policy on drugs and alcohol to inform policy renewal. While I am looking forward to engaging with community members and other stakeholders on this issue, I am cognizant of the fact that I have limited background knowledge of drug and alcohol policy. Luckily, I am part of a team which will be able to build off each other’s strengths and weaknesses and have the benefit of being in an established program which has leadership ready to support our learning. In the lead up to our trip, I plan to do the necessary research to fill the gaps in my knowledge and engage with my teammates and contacts in Grenada to ensure that our project goes smoothly once we arrive.
Adding to my excitement and apprehension is the fact that this will be my first global public health experience. This trip will be an incredible learning opportunity for me in terms of working in and with communities that I am not familiar with, and I hope that my work will be just as meaningful for our partners in Grenada.
I’ve been thinking a lot about cultural humility in the context of this trip-- I feel required and eager to learn about Grenada’s culture before our arrival while understanding that I will never have all the necessary information, nor will I ever be an “expert” on the lived experience of the community I am entering.
Having a truly humble approach, eagerness to learn, and the desire to take on any tasks that are handed to me will be the building blocks to make this trip successful and impactful for the community we are working with. Remaining in the present, learning new things, and serving the community we are entering with grace and respect are my top priorities, and I am counting down the days until takeoff.