Kyle Haley graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Health Promotion and Health Behavior in Spring 2017. Since that time, he’s been interning with the Community Epidemiology Services (CES) team at the Multnomah County Health Department. We caught up with Kyle to learn more about his time at Oregon State and in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences.
Synergies: Please tell us a little bit about your internship.
Kyle: “As part of the CES team, I’m assisting in the evaluation of the county project – Coaching Boys into Men. This project aims to reduce domestic and sexual violence amongst adolescents in Multnomah County by facilitating discussions around healthy and respectful dating behaviors.
“My job consists of constructing literature reviews focused on violence prevention in the community, giving presentations to key stakeholders on the conceptual framework behind violence prevention, speaking to high school athletes about the potential lifelong consequences that arise from domestic violence and attending CES team meetings.”
Synergies: How did being a student in the CPHHS prepare you for that role?
Kyle: “The CPHHS prepared me with basic knowledge of epidemiology and the social determinants of health, which helped ease the learning curve from work to school.”
Synergies: Was there a piece of advice or a lesson learned while a student that you’ve taken with you?
Kyle: “Keep your eyes open for opportunities and don’t be afraid to shy away from your comfort zone. This helped me develop both professionally and as a man.”
Synergies: What do you like most about the transition from school to career?
Kyle: “What I like most about my transition is how smoothly it went thanks to the help of Sara Caldwell-Kan. She was my preceptor for the internship I completed at Oregon State’s Student Health Services as part of the alcohol prevention team.
“I was able to apply the knowledge I acquired from my internship to my current role at the Multnomah County Health Department, which has helped my transition tremendously.”
Synergies: Did you receive a scholarship/fellowship or financial aid while a student at Oregon State?
Kyle: “I was a member of the Oregon State football team and received a full athletic scholarship during my time as a student. Go Beavs!”
Synergies: What advice do you have for current public health students as they look for their first job out of college?
Kyle: “I would say to be very resilient in your job search when looking for a job or internship opportunity. Someone has to get hired, so why not you?”
Synergies: Any final words or thoughts about your time at Oregon State?
Kyle: “I’d like to thank Terrance Harris, the director of the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center at Oregon State, for his hard work and dedication in helping students of color achieve their professional goals. He was very influential in helping me with my professional development, and he assisted me in finding my internship and applying for the position.”