Oregon State Student Alumni Ambassadors and the College of Public Health and Human Sciences are hosting a panel of five alumni, five years out of school from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, at the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families.
Panelist Bridget Jamieson graduated in 2014 with a B.S. in Public Health, Health Promotion and Health Behavior and minors in Business and Spanish. She works as the community programs manager at Susan G. Komen Oregon and SW Washington. Her primary focus is to administer community grants and manage health education programs among vulnerable populations across the region. She currently lives in Portland, Ore.
Synergies: How did being a student in the HPHB program prepare you for your current role?
Bridget: “Many of the learning competencies in the HPHB program align well with a successful job in health promotion. Classes such as the social determinants of health and health program planning provided me with the foundation of knowledge to assess breast health and cancer issues in the community and how to implement programs to effectively address them.”
Synergies: Was there a piece of advice, or a lesson you learned while a student in the CPHHS that you’ve taken with you?
“While taking the pre-internship class, Karen Elliott prepared us with ways to stand out in our internships. Getting involved with the internship sites beyond the job description, always being professional and constantly providing quality work were pieces of advice that helped me secure a job with the organization following my internship.”
Synergies: What do you appreciate most about the transition from school to your career?
Bridget: “I was able to use many skills and knowledge from my classes immediately in my field. As a senior, I assisted with Deborah John’s research by assessing qualitative data. Within weeks of starting in my career, an almost identical project presented itself and I was assigned to lead it since I had training in that skill set from OSU. It’s exciting to see the connection between what you’ve learned in school being applied to your career and then being recognized for it as a professional.”
Synergies: Did you receive a scholarship/fellowship or financial aid during your time as a student at OSU?
Bridget: “I was a recipient of the diversity achievement scholarship while studying at OSU.”
Synergies: What advice do you have for current students of your program as they look for their first job out of college?
Bridget: “Look at companies and organizations that fit well with your interests, and reach out to someone there whose job and responsibilities are similar to something you would like to see yourself doing in the future. Ask for informational interviews with these people because they might become a great connection for you in the future or they may recommend you to look at other organizations and avenues you hadn’t considered.”