Rachel Turkel
Master of Public Health
Bachelor of Arts
Major: Philosophy and Mathematics
United States of America
International Health, Social/Behavioral Interventions
What are your career goals?
I'm still unsure about my specific career goals, but I'm very much interested in working with African countries helping to set up behavioral interventions based on field research and input from local communities.
What sparked your interest in global health?
I first became interested in global health after joining an AIDS Awareness club in high school. Volunteering at an orphanage in Malawi during college really cemented that interest.
How do you see yourself making a difference in public health because of the Global Health Scholarship?
I look forward to using my time at Hopkins to go abroad to Africa after my first year. I would like to work in the field doing research on behavioral interventions and local psychological factors to determine the most effective solutions to global health problems.
Who inspires you and why?
I'm inspired by Unite For Sight, a global health non-profit that I worked for before coming to Hopkins. They do tremendous work with eye care in developing countries, and have an enviable financial model that contributes 100% of all donations to the actual cause. I'm also inspired by HVCS, an organization that I used to volunteer with, that has done incredible work with the HIV/AIDS community in New York.