A group of students at San Jose State University strives for global health awareness.

BY NICHOLAS HARTMANN, SENIOR, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

Last year, Mojgan Mohammadi, a senior health science major at San Jose State University (SJSU) in California, and several other students wanted to join a group to join a group that focused on global citizenship and service. When they couldn’t find one on their campus, they formed the Global Health Association (GHA) to raise awareness of our interconnectedness in the world and to reach out to serve communities.

“GHA starts conversations here on campus about what it means to build and maintain healthy communities,” says Elaine Davis, a senior health science major at SJSU and an active member of GHA. “It’s amazing to be around such a diverse group of students, staff, faculty, and community members who are as interested in global health as I am. I started out not very involved because of my busy work and school schedules, but over time I realized that the group gave me an opportunity to get involved in something I’m passionate about and do it with an incredible group of people.”

From Fundraisers to Haitian Relief
In addition to holding small events such as hot cocoa fundraisers, the group has brought in speakers such as a representative from Under the Baobab Tree, a nonprofit organization that builds schools for the children of Malawi in Africa. The GHA has also held a Global Health Careers Night featuring speakers from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and the Peace Corps who discussed international employment opportunities in healthcare.

The group took its first international trip over the summer. Eight GHA student volunteers traveled to Leogane, Haiti, last August to participate in the earthquake relief effort. They worked with Hands On Disaster Response and the local community on various projects such as building schools, painting murals, and assisting at orphanages.

Mohammadi, who is president of the GHA, encourages students at other campuses to start their own global health associations: “If there is something that you feel very passionate about and there are no organizations that represent you and your dream, start your own. It is a lot of work, but it’s worth it because doing something that you love will only add to your happiness and success.”

Nicholas Hartmann is a senior majoring in English at The Ohio State University.