Graduates of the UW–Madison School of Education are enjoying successful careers in fields across the arts, health, and education — and we are excited to share what they are doing today.
Following is a Q&A with Lauren Etti, who graduated in 2023 with a BS in Health Promotion and Health Equity.
How did you get interested in this field/major?
I had an international upbringing! Having grown up in eight different countries, of which most were on the African continent, I grew passionate about social impact and development work overall. I had somewhat of an interest in medicine, however I believed there was a lot more work needed to understand the health challenges people face on account of their race, gender, and socioeconomic background. HPHE was perfect for this! To this day, I am so thankful that my SOAR advisor told me about the major.
How did you decide that UW–Madison was the right place to pursue this degree?
UW–Madison is excellent for folks looking to work within the health field due to the hands-on opportunities there are for students on campus. HPHE being health-focused made this the perfect place to learn from world-renowned professors and like-minded students.
What are you doing today (professionally, or where are you pursuing further education)?
After graduating, I briefly worked for a hospital nonprofit but wanted to re-engage with marketing and communications work — a passion I also developed through my student job at UW. Now I work as a Digital Communications Associate at a special education consultancy.
What was your most meaningful experience with the HPHE program?
Although this was such a small, short-lived moment, I remember during my first semester at UW (which was virtual learning due to the pandemic) I was first introduced to the idea of “intersectionality.” I’m not sure what happened, but this concept almost became my whole personality. So much about how people are and how the world treats people made sense. It became the framework for a lot of courses in the HPHE program and for my future goals — how I want to shine a light on this concept and how it impacts African women, specifically.
What class or professor had the greatest impact on you, and why?
I really enjoyed COUN PSY 655 with Dr. Corissa Lotta. This course was awesome and quite rigorous. A huge focus was on “Motivational Interviewing,” a skill which I continue to use today, professionally and personally. The course offered multiple practical opportunities and I worked with a website to record responses of mock patients. RPSE 505 was also superb!
How, if at all, has the HPHE program at UW–Madison helped you get to where you are today?
The program is exceptionally dynamic and truly teaches you about cultural humility and how to work with others. These are crucial concepts towards progressing and relating to the world around you.
Can you tell us about a time when an academic advisor helped you?
The School of Education staff is awesome! I remember working with Noelle and Sarah from the School of Education Career Center as I was transitioning out of university. Zoe Hurley, the HPHE advisor, was also so so so brilliant and receptive to working with students to improve the program. I hope all of them are doing well!
Can you tell us about a time you connected with someone at the Career Center?
Sarah offers a brilliant course that EVERYONE transitioning out of university should take. I graduated at a time when the job market was shifting and realized the gaps in students truly understanding how to put their job materials in order. Sarah’s course not only helped me with this, but also made me aware of how helpful SoE’s Career Center team is. I even reached out for her support during my first year in my “big girl” job. She kindly invited me to speak to her class awhile back!
Have you participated in any research, study abroad, or community service? What did you participate in and could you talk a bit more about those experiences?
I worked with the Madison Metropolitan School District’s Anti-Racist Individualized Education Program (IEP) team briefly. I mainly worked on communications materials, and some clerical work such as taking notes at meetings, but I learned so much about what special educators do to ensure that students of color who have disabilities have access to what they need.