Zoe Vaz, COL ’25, Hartford, CT
This summer, I had the privilege of working as a research assistant on a public health intervention clinical trial called Tiempo Juntos Pro Nuestra Salud. The trial focused on promoting cognitive health, cardiovascular health, and sleep among older Latinos through physical activity interventions. As part of this research, I learned to use physical activity and sleep monitoring devices, which involved configuring them for participant use, downloading and cleaning data for analysis, and ensuring the accuracy of the results. We worked with 281 participants living in North Philadelphia, primarily around the Kensington area.
My role in this study provided invaluable hands-on clinical experience. I had the opportunity to work directly with participants, learning how to take blood pressure, analyze data, and perform cognitive evaluations. What made this experience particularly meaningful was the fact that the study was conducted entirely in Spanish. This allowed me to practice and improve my Spanish language skills, as I was responsible for administering cognitive evaluations and interacting with participants in Spanish. Additionally, I assisted in organizing health education workshops that were delivered directly within the communities we served.
Overall, my summer was a rich and rewarding experience. I enjoyed exploring more of Philadelphia, connecting with participants, and applying my Spanish skills in a real-world context. This opportunity not only allowed me to deepen my understanding of public health interventions but also to make a tangible impact on the community. Working within the Latino community in North Philadelphia reinforced my commitment to addressing health disparities and has inspired me to continue pursuing a career in public health that focuses on underserved populations.
This is part of a series of posts by recipients of the 2024 Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they spent their summer. You can read the entire series here
