Sinoxolo “Susan” Favor was doing public well being work in her native South Africa lengthy earlier than she enrolled within the School of Public Well being at George Mason College.
Between 2009 and 2010, HIV and AIDS an infection charges had been very excessive in South Africa, she mentioned, so she started doing outreach and volunteer work at her faculty to coach others. Favor additionally volunteered at the South Africa Division of Well being, the place her mom is a nurse practitioner.
“My faculty would exit and work with the group,” mentioned Favor. “I did not actually know what public well being was, till I began this work [and realized] that my entire life I have been dwelling in a public well being disaster.”
Now Favor is graduating from this spring with a BS in group well being from the primary school of public well being in Virginia.
Favor got here to United States in 2014 and labored for nearly 10 years, primarily in well being care, earlier than going to Northern Virginia Group School for 2 years and transferring into Mason via the ADVANCE Program.
What’s your finest reminiscence at Mason?
I have been working on the Workplace of Scholar Affairs [in the College of Public Health] the place I meet numerous college students who name in for assist. I believe my finest reminiscences are getting these calls after which giving them the assistance that they want. I take into consideration how, as a scholar, I’d wish to be helped. If I got here into this workplace, I wish to go away right here with options for my issues. It’s the very best factor daily when college students stroll in asking questions, and I can give them solutions.
What’s your finest piece of recommendation for incoming college students?
End up a very good pal who’s doing the identical program and can show you how to via it. It is good to have any individual that may relate to you and perceive what you’re going via. I’ve that one pal, and we’re going via this course of collectively. Additionally reap the benefits of all of the alternatives introduced. Mason has numerous alternatives like scholarships to use for; name all of the places of work and ask questions. There’s by no means a dumb query, and there is a resolution for each downside.
What’s subsequent for you?
I’ll be coming again to Mason sooner or later. [I’m getting] a grasp’s diploma in international well being via Mason’s Bachelor’s to Accelerated Grasp’s Program. I hope to work with USAID Venture Administration Specialists on HIV and AIDS remedies and preventions, particularly with younger women in South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and the entire southern hemisphere of Africa. I wish to make certain they’ve the knowledge they want about copy and sexual well being. Schooling is vital; it’s the very best prevention.