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Meet Our Students - Abraham
Year: |
Graduate Student |
| Hometown: |
Nicaragua |
Major: |
Public Health |
Career goal: |
Health Professional,
creating community programs for children and families in
developing countries. |
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Did you get a scholarship? |
Yes, I came here thanks to the
Fulbright
Scholarship, which is an international scholarship for cultural
exchange and advanced learning. |
Favorite things about USF |
First, the people.
Students, professors and administrative employees are so nice
and always willing to help. Second, the ambiance of campus. It
inspires me to study, relax and have fun within a safe
environment. The nature is not just the lawns and plants, but
the weather, landscapes and animals, in particularly squirrels,
which help to inspire me. |
3 things you love about Tampa, Florida: |
Tampa enjoys the unique
sunny weather of Florida with all the great natural resources,
including beaches and attractions such as Bush Gardens, stadiums
and great places to hang out with friends. People in Florida
tend to be more relaxed and sociable than other parts of the
U.S. that I have visited. |
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Are you working on any
exciting projects or research?...
Part of my Special Project, I have been a volunteer for almost
a year within the Child Development Division,
Department of Pediatrics
at USF (Children Medical Services), collaborating with the program
Helping Our Toddlers Developing Ours Children’s Skills (HOT DOCS) under
the supervision of Dr. Kathleen Armstrong, Karen Lilly, and Heather Curtiss. Through this program, a team of skilled professionals teach
positive behavioral support to parents of children with challenging
behavior, including children with developmental delays and
neurodevelopment disorders. The program is taught in English and in
Spanish. I was part of the first team to pilot the program for the
Spanish speaking families of Hillsborough County, translating and
teaching the classes. I have co-piloted four sets of modules
collaborating with the team during this last year, and actually
co-teaching the fifth. |
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Have you had the
opportunity to work with any outstanding Professors?
Yes, Dr. Peter Gorski. He is my academic advisor and was the Director
of the Chiles Center. Now he is the Director of Program Impact and
Innovation at the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County and Professor
of Pediatrics, Public Health and Psychiatry at the University of South
Florida. I had the opportunity to participate in his Spring 2006 course
on Social Justice and Child’s Rights, which gave me a significant
insight into the inequities in the children's’ health in the U.S., but
he also extended the approach even more to a comparative analysis of
other counties’ health systems and inequities. |
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Are you a member of a
student club or organization?
I am a member of the Public Health Student association.
I have been involved in collaborating health fairs, for example the Flu Shot
Health Fair at the College of Public Health. I have also collaborated
with the International Health Service collaborative, also helping with
health fairs directed at minorities. I also serve as a translator and
communicator in health education talks. |
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Have you made new friends
at USF?
I have made lots of friends! Each one of them have given me a valuable
friendship. Many of my friends are also international students from such
places as Macedonia, India, Colombia, Iraq, Tunisia, Suriname, Cuba and
Ecuador. I also have many friends within the U.S., not only from Tampa
and Florida but also from other states such as Minnesota, Washington and
Alaska.
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