COLLEGE STATION, Texas — This week, students, faculty and staff within the School of Public Health at Texas A&M are inviting the community to prioritize their health and learn more about violence prevention, reproductive and sexual health and mental health.
“It really allows us to bring the community into the School of Public Health — show them a little bit more about what we do across the board, and also interact with the community more during National Public Health Week," said Dr. Shawn Gibbs, Dean of School of Public Health, Texas A&M University.
The National Public Health Week has been a national event for 25 years, and the School of Public Health has participated every year since.
“We’re organizing it around our centers, so all of our centers are pushing for something that they do,” Dr. Gibbs said.
“For example, we’ve got a center for health and nature, and it’s taking us through an organized nature walk where we’re learning more about the positive impact of nature on human health.”
Alongside connecting with nature, attendees can also look forward to yoga and presentations on Public Health from keynote speakers in the Brazos Valley.
“I am organizing yoga and meditation sessions which is a three-day event,” said Ankita Nandwani, Master of Public Health student.
“I’m a big advocate for mental health because I started taking care of my mental health when I was 19 years old, and I started doing meditation and it helped me a lot.”
Students, faculty, and staff are spearheading Public Health Week, along with local keynote speakers in Public Health.
“We’ve got a presentation coming up where we’re looking at lifestyle choices,” Dr. Gibbs said.
“A lot of people don’t understand or don’t realize that when you’re looking at the impacts on human health — roughly 50 percent of diseases are a result of the decisions we make.”
Nandwani is also a pharmacist in her home country of India.
“Public health plays [a] critical role in preventing diseases and promoting well being and protecting the community overall,” Nandwani said.
“It is an opportunity for us to educate others about what public health is and what it does.”
With prioritizing her mental health at 19 years old, she now helps others do the same through yoga and meditation.
“I was living away from my family, and it helped me a lot in my studies and concentrate in my concentration,” Nandwani said.
Meditation practices have even encouraged her son to mimic what she does as a mother.
“I have a four-year-old, and I remember when I used to meditate when I was pregnant, he used to kick,” Nandwani said.
“Now also, when he sees me [when] I’m meditating, he would sit and he say ‘I’m also meditating' so that’s quite lovely to see him like that.”
Nandwani has interests in Program Management in a hospital or in a clinical research organization.
While at Texas A&M, she wants to promote healthy well being.
“When you meditate, your environment of home also becomes very divine and positive,” Nandwani said.
You can find the full list of events happening this week below.
