Student Spotlight: Paula Gutierrez
Paula Gutierrez (NHS ’22) is a second-year undergraduate at Georgetown University studying global health.
Tell us about your interest in global health.
What inspired you to participate in the Conversations in Global Health course?I have always been interested in health through medicine, but I was not really exposed to the field of global health until I decided to attend Georgetown and pursue a major in Global Health. What drew me to the major was the intersection of health with many other areas that I had never really considered health to be connected to, such as policy, economics, and development. I decided to participate in the Conversations in Global Health course because I wanted exposure to global health careers and to understand what global health means in a context outside of the classroom.
Tell us about other global health events you may have participated in on campus/in D.C.
On campus, I have attended many global health events such as discussions and speakers on current international health issues. Recently, I attended a conversation hosted by the Global Health Initiative with Dr. Hank Tomlinson, who is the current director of the CDC’s Division of Global HIV & TB. He spoke about the history of HIV through politics and its impact on health in many countries, and about the work that the CDC does in various countries to ensure access to preventive measures and treatment.
What activities are you involved with on campus?
On campus, I am involved with the Center for Social Justice (CSJ). I am a tutor at an elementary school with the DC Schools Project, which is organized by the CSJ. The DC Schools Project works with students in DC public schools who are English learners to improve their English literacy. I am also a teaching assistant for Spanish in the Community, a community-based learning course offered by the CSJ.
What is your favorite part of being at Georgetown?
My favorite part of Georgetown is the people, both students and professors. The students are passionate and hard workers, and overall really interesting people. The professors make the classroom engaging and they are extremely supportive and really invested in the students. I also love Georgetown itself and its location in DC, which provides many opportunities that college students do not typically have.
Tell us about your educational and professional aspirations.
I plan on completing my undergraduate studies with a major in Global Health and a minor in Science, Technology, and International Affairs. I am not entirely sure what I want to work on in the future or in my further education, but I am interested in the public policy aspect of global health. Some of my specific interests include emerging infectious diseases, maternal and child health, and reproductive rights.