STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AMANI PATEL

Amani Patel has always been hard at work — in her studies and in her community. A graduate student working on a Master of Health Administration in the College of Public Health, Patel said she was not originally on this path.

“When I started my higher education journey, it was in pre-pharmacy,” said Patel. “I had started in an accelerated bachelor’s to master’s program.”

It took only a single year before Patel would find the route that was right for her, and she credits ETSU’s strong emphasis on public health.

“I always thought that I would go into medicine or the medical field. When I discovered public health, I was drawn into it, instantly. Then, I was accepted into the Honors Program. That is something that transformed my life as a student in ways that I could have never imagined.”

Patel said the Honors Program gifted her with experiences that led her to develop and nurture service and leadership, which built the foundation for her involvement in the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement (LCE)

“As an undergraduate student, I tried to be as active as possible in the programs that this office offers to students,” said Patel. “I immediately worked to become a Diversity Educator, a group of people that is dedicated to creating a campus culture that is inclusive of everyone. Because of this, I was already in contact with staff in the LCE, so when I saw a graduate assistant (GA) position get posted, I seized the opportunity.”

Patel said that her experience working with the LCE has been amazing. Last fall was one of the largest draws for first-year students for the university in the past couple of years, and the sheer number of activities, resources, and work that LCE generates is incredible to Patel.

“I love this feeling of making sure people are actively involved in their communities in positive ways,” said Patel. “While I was a freshman, ETSU held a naturalization ceremony for some of the faculty, staff, and students on campus. Not only was it an amazing opportunity for community-building, it was a very proud moment for everyone there. You could feel the happiness radiating off of everyone.”

Patel mentioned that a naturalization ceremony is an event she would be interested in bringing back to campus, but at the moment, she is concerned with voter registration outreach and making sure students, faculty, and staff know that ETSU is dedicated to making voting as easy as possible for the campus community through the studentled initiative ETSU Votes.

“We’ve been working a lot with voter registration outreach, and we now have an early voting site on campus,” said Patel. “Civic engagement has always been really important to me. My family and I are actually going through the naturalization process to become United States citizens. We passed our exams on September 16.”

Added Patel, “Voting is something that should not be taken lightly, and if you have the opportunity to engage in your community in this way, I highly encourage you to do so. Voting in state, local, and municipal elections is important because that’s where you create those grassroots movements where you can have your voice heard. You can give input on the issues that affect those closest to you, and you can create change with the casting of a ballot.”

Patel invites people who feel their votes do not matter to consider the vast differences in laws between states as proof that being engaged citizens – who make their voices heard – does have a tangible impact on everyone’s day-to-day lives.

“So, yes, if you have the opportunity to vote, vote.”