Welcome Jasmine!

Hello everyone! 

I am the newest addition to the TCEC team, and I am excited to spend my summer here as part of my MPH practical experience. My name is Jasmine, and I recently completed my first year of the MPH program at Sac State (stingers up!). Prior to being accepted into the program, I earned my B.S. in Public Health, Community Health Education, with a minor in LGBTQ Studies. My public health passions lie in promoting harm reduction strategies through community health and education, reducing barriers to care for marginalized communities, and advancing comprehensive sexual health education. 

While my passions feel so obvious now, it was a difficult road to figure out where I wanted to end up. I went into my undergraduate undeclared for my entire first two years (a very stressful position to be in when your #1 asked question is “So what do you want to do?”). The time was coming when I would need to select my major, so I extensively went through each offering Sac State had. I landed on public health knowing I wanted to improve the communities around me without being in healthcare itself. What I didn’t know was that I would completely fall in love with the field. I learned that public health is, well, everything. Its purpose is to protect all people, always. It’s reassuring to know that others care and that, as public health professionals, we share a common goal of improving the lives of those around us.

Throughout my journey in public health, I have had a few opportunities to learn about its many facets. As Event Coordinator of the Public Health Club at Sac State, I coordinated a 3-day event for all students on campus. We had Naloxone training, a harm reduction lecture, and a community resource fair. Meeting with local non-profits like WEAVE, Inc. , the Lamont Meyers Foundation, and the Sacramento LGBT Center felt empowering.  Learning about the work others are doing and sharing it with students who could use those resources was exciting. Shortly after, I became the President of the Public Health Club and started working for Solano County’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Team. 😊

In addition to harm reduction and emergency preparedness, I supported the Young Adult Tobacco Purchase Survey! Before joining TCEC, I worked as a Field Research Coordinator (FRC) with the Sacramento State Institute for Social Research. My position ended this past May, making my summer placement here feel like the perfect next step! As an FRC, I had the opportunity to travel across California to survey retail locations and assess their tobacco sales practices. Along the way, I got to see the city and stars of Hollywood, the well-known charm of San Luis Obispo, and the snowy mountain ranges of the Sequoia National Forest. While being paid to road-trip California in the name of public health research was a nice benefit, the job strengthened my interest in tobacco control research by giving me firsthand connections to the diverse communities that make up our state. 

When I am not studying, you can find me enjoying live music, exploring a new creek or swimming spot, or hanging out with one of my five cats. Yes, five. If you happen to stop by In-N-Out on a weekend, you're likely to find me there serving up some burgers! I am looking forward to learning as much as I can during my time with TCEC, contributing to exciting projects, and continuing to grow as a public health professional. 😊