State representatives visited campus to speak to Fairfield Egan students about the relationship between public health and government.
Connecticut state representatives Sarah Keitt and Cristin McCarthy Vahey were welcomed to the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies on Tuesday, Oct. 17 by assistant professor of public health Bridget Hussain, PhD, RD, CDCES, CDN, and students in her introductory “Public Health and Social Justice” course.
“The class is the 101 course for public health majors and highlights the role of government in public policy and action. I wanted the students to hear directly from representatives about how public health plays a role in government and what they, as students, can do to influence change,” said Dr. Hussain.
Rep. McCarthy Vahey and Rep. Keitt spoke to Dr. Hussain's class about the relationship between public health and the government. Both representatives have backgrounds in public health and social work; they specifically discussed the role legislators play in government, including developing bills that impact public health. In addition to their classroom visit, the representatives also attended a public health networking lunch with students.
“I found learning about the representatives’ backgrounds very interesting," said one student, "especially the fact that neither of them really planned on getting involved in government while they were in college or even right after they graduated. Seeing real-life examples of people following their passions — even when it led them somewhere that they did not originally intend to go — certainly gives me hope and encouragement for the future.”
During their visit, the representatives encouraged students to move the needle on public health initiatives at the state level by going to hearings and writing personalized emails to their representatives.
Rep. McCarthy Vahey left the students with a memorable piece of advice: to be loud.
A public health major noted, “This visit provided me with the opportunity to think beyond my current studies at Fairfield by recognizing the power that my vote holds and the actions I can take to influence what occurs within our government and legislature.”
