PAM Major: A Personal Analysis

My interest in CHE, and in particular the PAM major, is influenced by my rewarding and eye opening volunteer experiences and today’s pressing social policy issues that confront our country. For the past three summers, I volunteered with an organization that helps poverty stricken families repair and improve their homes in central Appalachia. I respect and care for the home owners, but each year I am discouraged by their poor daily health habits. It is commonplace to see pregnant mothers smoking cigarettes, overweight adults spending much of the day watching TV, and young children eating cheez-doodles and a drinking a can of soda for breakfast. I grew up in a double parent household in the Hudson Valley of NY in an environment promoting good health and education. Beginning in elementary school, I learned about the food pyramid and the importance of a colorful plate, enforced by the options in the school cafeteria. In high school we receive comprehensive sex education, complete with reproductive health instruction. We are in …show more content…
However, upon returning home, I was able to reflect on my experiences and question why these differences exist and have remained constant over the years. I see the core problems stemming from broken family structures, chronic unemployment, low income jobs, drug addiction, poor health education for all ages, and often all of these factors combined. PAM will allow me to study and understand the current educational and health policies supporting rural, low income areas, such as Appalachia, and how these policies address the factors that cause and perpetuate the cycle of poverty. I am interested to learn how these policies have cultivated an environment where poor health behavior is the inescapable norm, and how policies are created and implemented to affect change to these deep rooted