By Allison Talan, MsC
Having never been to APHA, I entered the conference feeling nervous, anxious and excited. The nerves quickly disappeared after stepping into the general opening session and the excitement took over after hearing sentiments from Sarah Weddington, Sir Michael G. Marmot, and Mayor Thomas Menino.
My favorite part of APHA was attending various oral sessions in my field of interest. I was able to network with people who I could imagine collaborating with in the future and even put my nerves aside to attend the LGBT business meeting. These experiences are what really made the APHA! I also was able to connect with friends, peers and old colleagues who live in various states across the country. That was an unexpected treat.
Overall, learning and hearing about the innovative work that is being conducted in my field of interest was really invigorating and insightful. I am very excited for APHA next year in New Orleans!
Ali Talan is a first-year DrPH student in the Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences. Her research interests focus on risk behaviors during adolescence and the transition into adulthood, as well as health disparities in sexual minorities, HIV prevention, and the relationship between mental and sexual health.
