By Lauren Cenac, BA
I went into this year’s APHA conference not quite knowing what to expect. As a first-semester MPH student and public health novice, my feelings ranged from excited to intimidated.
My introduction to APHA came in the form of a student-faculty breakfast. Early Sunday morning, a large group of Maternal and Child Health students and teachers gathered around six tables in a conference room to begin our “speed mentoring” session.
Each person at the table had a minute and a half to speak; a tiny hourglass tauntingly tracked time. We were handed a paper with questions to answer: “Why is networking important to you? Where do you see yourself in five years? What are the top three leadership strengths that you bring to your work today?”
Not only did I not know the answers to these questions, but even if I had, articulating my top three leadership strengths to a group of strangers in a minute and a half seemed nearly impossible.
So when my turn came to speak, I didn’t follow the prompts on my paper. I simply spoke from the heart and told my story, imperfect as it was: As a former journalist of six years, the birth of my three-year-old daughter inspired my interest in public health and my pursuit of an MPH.
There it was: my story. It was succinct and simple, but it was mine.
And to my surprise, people were interested in it. My interests in journalism and breastfeeding resonated with the people around me. And with each time I told my story, it became clearer and clearer to me what my story actually was.
And I realized something very important that day: The strength of your story doesn’t lie in how it compares to other people’s stories. Your story derives power from its authenticity and its reflection of your skills, passions, and dreams.
Through the networking mentoring sessions at APHA, I became more confident in my story and more focused in my public health aspirations.
Lauren Cenac has a Bachelor of Arts in English and is a first-year MPH student and MCHLT Scholar, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in 2016. Her interests include breastfeeding and prenatal and postpartum care.
