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 have been very excessive in South Africa, she stated, so she started doing outreach and volunteer work at her faculty to teach 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,” stated 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 faculty 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 Neighborhood School for 2 years and transferring into Mason by way of the ADVANCE Program.
What’s your finest reminiscence at Mason?
I have been working on the Workplace of Pupil Affairs [in the College of Public Health] the place I meet lots of college students who name in for assist. I feel my finest recollections are getting these calls after which giving them the assistance that they want. I take into consideration how, as a pupil, I might need to be helped. If I got here into this workplace, I need 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 will give them solutions.
What’s your finest piece of recommendation for incoming college students?
End up a superb good friend who’s doing the identical program and can allow you to by way of it. It is good to have someone that may relate to you and perceive what you’re going by way of. I’ve that one good friend, and we’re going by way of this course of collectively. Additionally make the most of all of the alternatives introduced. Mason has lots of alternatives like scholarships to use for; name all of the workplaces and ask questions. There’s by no means a dumb query, and there is a answer 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 by way of Mason’s Bachelor’s to Accelerated Grasp’s Program. I hope to work with USAID Mission Administration Specialists on HIV and AIDS therapies and preventions, particularly with younger ladies in South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and all the southern hemisphere of Africa. I need to ensure that they’ve the knowledge they want about replica and sexual well being. Schooling is vital; it’s the very best prevention.