As a child, Heather Mikulski, ’08, Ph.D. ’21, hoped to find the cure to diabetes. She had seen the disease affect close family members, and she believed that she could make a difference. Over time, that broadened to an interest in public health, but her drive to improve lives remained steadfast.
This Giving Tuesday, Heather is providing a matching gift to the College of Public Health Study Abroad Fund. This fund supports study abroad opportunities for 91ֿ public health students by connecting their academic preparation with immersion in other cultures from Rwanda to China to Brazil and beyond, allowing them to study the impacts of public health policy and initiatives through an international lens. Heather, who studied abroad and now lives in Spain, believes this kind of experience is essential for those studying public health. In order to affect meaningful change in our communities, understanding nuances of the country, culture and people living there is a must.
“I’m a believer in people,” Heather said. “I believe that everything is possible, overly optimistic maybe, and that everyone deserves a chance. They may just need someone to give them that chance.”
“I had studied abroad multiple times,” she explained. “It was more about the different cultures and exposure to different ways of thinking. It makes you think differently about initiatives for your target audience and how you approach them.” Heather had a memorable experience while participating in a KSU Public Health program in Colombia. There, she learned that efforts to reduce the incidence of malaria by issuing mosquito nets were not always successful. In some instances, locals used the mosquito netting for other purposes, including for clothing, most notably wedding veils. She learned that in some villages it was customary to wash all textiles frequently, resulting in damaged nets that were less effective. While the malaria prevention activities did not prove to be as successful as initially thought, the example provided a valuable lesson that solidified the significance of cross-cultural understanding. Heather believes that if more cultural aspects had been taken into consideration, it would have increased the initiative’s effectiveness.
Offering students the chance to build this awareness will make them better public health professionals. “I’m a believer in people,” Heather said. “I believe that everything is possible, overly optimistic maybe, and that everyone deserves a chance. They may just need someone to give them that chance.”
Heather’s gift will give at least one student the chance for a life-changing experience, and with the exponential power of philanthropy, the positive force of one can create lasting change for many. This , Heather is shining her light on study abroad to help future public health leaders impact their communities through sustainable, relevant health innovations that address the needs of the people they serve around the globe.