Nursing Student Julia Brown ’17 Accepted into Peace Corps
Starting a nursing job right out of college is challenging, but graduates of the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies do it every year. But what would it be like to have your first nursing job take you half way around the world, to Africa? Soon Julia Brown ’17, a senior in the Egan School, will know firsthand. In keeping with ýƵƹۿ’s core Jesuit value of being men and women for others, Brown was accepted into the Peace Corps where she will be stationed in Cameroon, Africa. During the two years she will be in Cameroon, Brown will serve in the health sector of the Peace Corps where she will be involved in HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs, malaria prevention and maternal and child healthcare.
Volunteering for the Peace Corps was always a goal for Brown even before she decided to be a nurse. “Ever since I was in middle school I've wanted to do the Peace Corps. I love the idea of not only giving my time to serve others, but to be living with those same community members, at their economic level,” says Brown. “The Peace Corps isn't about giving money and handouts to those in need, but rather it's about giving them education and promotion so that they can sustain positive changes. To me that's making the biggest impact possible.”
Brown feels confident that her experience as an Egan School undergraduate and the work she did in her health and wellness clinical have given her the skills she needs to make a smooth transition into her new role.
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Assistant Professor of the Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies Audrey Beauvais stated, “ýƵƹۿ’s nursing program has prepared Julia well for this service-filled role with the Peace Corps. Her ýƵƹۿ nursing education has provided her with the tools necessary to make a positive difference promoting healthy global communities. During her time at Fairfield, Julia has been given opportunities to lead health campaigns focused on health and wellness, which will translate well to her role with the Peace Corps.”
