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Our Homepage PhotosWonder who those people are in the photo montage on our home page?
This is the only photo on the home page that is not one of our students, faculty, or community partners! But she is the center of our department logo, found for us by our friends at Toucan Ed who helped us develop promotional materials in 2001. Her look of thoughtful reflection beautifully expresses how much there is to learn, ponder, synthesize, and imagine when studying community health. 
Heather Lopes (right) grew up in Southern California. She graduated from Glendora High School in 1998, attended Cal Poly Pomona for awhile before transferring to Mt. San Antonio College for a study abroad international business program. After 6 months in London, she finished out her A.A. degree and transferred to SJSU in Fall 2004. She came as a dietetics major but “when I could not pass Chem 1A, I re-assessed my options and decided to look for something a little less clinical and more flexible, which brought me to Health Science. It was the best decision I could have made.” Heather graduated in May 2006, with a B.S. in Health Science and a Minor in Nutrition and Food Science (Option 2). She is currently living back in Southern California, building up a clientele for nutrition and health counseling, and writing health-related stories for a local magazine. Heather’s advice for current or potential students: “If you are passionate and dedicated, this degree can take you wherever you want it to, and you will be supported whole hearted by the Health Science faculty. Oh, and try not to procrastinate!” Samantha Collier (left) was born and raised in Vallejo, California and graduated from Vallejo High School. She attended SJSU from 1999 – 2001, when she attended West Chester University in Pennsylvania through the National Student Exchange Program. Upon her return to SJSU, Sammy recalls “I registered for HS 169 Diversity, Stress, and Health…I learned so much and had such a good time learning about health and health disparities I began exploring changing my major to Health Science. The HS department, staff, faculty, and students are amazing.” She says that, although it was challenging, she’s glad she worked while in school. She has also come to appreciate all of the hands-on experience and writing involved in the program: “I overcame my fear of writing because I had a lot of practice in my classes!” She is currently working as a Health Education Assistant at Kaiser Redwood City. She plans to take the GREs this Fall and apply to Nursing Programs. Her advice for current or potential students: “Take your education as seriously as possible, but have fun while doing it. Enjoy yourself and get involved. There is so much going on in the community and it is good to get hands-on experience!” The photo was taken at the Open Air Health Fair at the San Jose Flea Market – an annual tradition for our department and The Health Trust, one of our most important community partners. Students from HS 104 Community Health Promotion develop the educational booths and materials as part of a class assignment and then staff the booths during the Health Fair, which also offers free screening for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Sammy and Heather are standing at the Supermarket Tour booth that their group designed and staffed. Visitors to the booth learned about reading labels, reducing the fat and salt in their family diets through product substitutions, and picked up recipes for popular dishes using healthy ingredients. 
Adrian Espinoza (right) was born and raised in the east side of San Jose. He attended Andrew Hill High School and graduated from SJSU with a B.A. in Biology and minors in both Health Science and Chemistry. He is currently in the MPH program. He also works full time. Adrian plans to work and travel in Mexico while in school “so that I can gain a deeper appreciation for my roots and can bring back a whole hearted and meaningful approach to my work”. Adrian is involved in many community-based activities including the Open Air Health Fair at the San Jose Flea Market and the Health Science Trip to Oaxaca. His advice to current or potential students: “Take a class or two. Don't ponder it. You would be surprised at what your background has to offer the field of health science and public health, and how you can become such a valuable asset to the world of community health education...It is up to us to become part of the evolution of prevention and education! The Health Science Trip to Oaxaca is an opportunity for students, faculty, and alumni to spend a week in Oaxaca, Mexico learning about health, globalization, and ecology while providing prevention and health education services through local community-based organizations. Working with our Mexican partner, Enlaces Comunitarios, we spend a week working and learning together. The photo on our Home Page is of Adrian, Kathleen Roe (Department Chair) and the family of Saul and Alma Ramirez in the pueblo of Arrazola. Saul is one of the organizers of ecoalebrijes, a collaborative of craftspeople in Arrazola who make and sell the exquisite carved animals for which the region is so well known. 
Nicamer Tolentino (right) grew up in San Francisco, graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School and San Francisco State University. He received his MPH from San Jose State University in May 2005. In college, Nicamer started as a Physical Therapy major, but “my EOP advisor asked me if I know of Health Science (and of course I didn’t). She asked me to check it out. I took the introductory course and fell in love with the field soon thereafter.” At SJSU, Nicamer says that he “loved the closeness of the faculty…They genuinely enjoy working with each other….Also, I love how the faculty are so involved in different professional organizations and associations”, noting how it helps him stay current in public health and health education. He recommends hard work and group study for the most challenging courses and remembers the harsh commute from San Francisco to San Jose and back – and how he kept telling himself “It’s only temporary, it’s only temporary…” Nicamer is the father of a young son, born while he was in the MPH Program. Nicamer works at the San Francisco Department of Public Health as a Project Coordinator of a Child Passenger Safety grant. His advice to current or potential students: “Enjoy the process and treasure the outcome!” Alvin Galang (left) grew up in Fremont and graduated from American High School in 1995. He attended Ohlone College before transferring to SJSU. Alvin graduated from the Health Science program in December 2000, came back as a graduate student in 2002, and graduated with his MPH degree in Spring 2005. Alvin says, “I didn't really find Health Science, Health Science found me… Being the eldest grandson in my family put a lot of pressure on me to become a doctor. Although I was interested in helping people and serving the community, medicine was not necessarily what I wanted to do. After considering other programs, Health Science was the major that actually "fit" the type of work that I was most interested in”. He remembers that the most challenging thing about studying Health Science is “ getting used to thinking "outside the box" and not asking "why" but rather, "why not?" What he likes most about the department is its passion: “We are a small department, but we do enormous things. The faculty's dedication and commitment is what inspires me to follow in their footsteps.” Alvin works in the Friday Night Live Youth Leadership Program of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence in the San Jose area. He is also one of our most popular instructors in HS 1 Understanding Your Health. He plans on starting a doctoral program in the near future. |
One Washington Square
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