Thinking Critically About Environmental Issues and Public Health: Soleil Ephraim (’21) Pursues Graduate Studies
After a couple of years earning work experience related to social justice, Soleil Ephraim (HISP & Sociology ’21) is currently exploring the intersection between environmental health and public health as she pursues a MSc in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Soleil traces these interests back to her experiences with the HISP program. Even though her semester abroad in La Plata, Argentina was shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, Soleil fell in love with the passion with which the staff at the Comisión Provincial por la Memoria seek to protect human rights and social justice. Initially interested in exploring the history of women’s health and the evolution of medicine (including maternal health and reproductive health & rights), after graduating in 2021, Soleil worked for a primary care office and interpreted for Spanish-speaking patients. Afterwards, as a Bilingual Teacher and Member of the Cultural Competency Group at Freshfarm FoodPrints, Soleil was able to teach PreK - 8th grade students in the DC public school system and introduce them to food education through cooking and gardening. She was also able to design a reading list of culturally and linguistically relevant books to supplement the FoodPrints curriculum. Her work as an educator deepened her interest in issues related to food insecurity, access to urban green spaces, and food-related education, and their impact on people's health. Soleil's dissertation will examine how climate change exacerbates water, sanitation, and hygiene insecurity and unpack how these consequential health outcomes differ based on gender.
“The Hispanic Studies Department has challenged me to question traditions, systems, and the documentation of history,” says Soleil. “In order to contribute to resilient and strong health care systems, it is important to reflect on history and examine how people’s current environments or social determinants impact their health. This reflection of the past, present, and future is a skill that I have rigorously practiced [in HISP classes].”