Health Sciences senior Ashley Hernandez is pursuing her dream of going to medical school while participating in the Community Health Ambassadors Program. This interdisciplinary initiative connects pre-health students from all undergraduate majors with the local community to conduct impactful health improvement projects.
The program is delivered through the course “Interdisciplinary Projects in Health Professions,” which helps students prepare for careers in health professions by working in teams to design and carryout wellness programs. “This program supports student development and leadership while achieving better health outcomes for individuals and families in our community,” says Suha Saleh, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Success, who developed and oversees the program. “The vision for our program is to establish a practical community health and wellness initiative with tangible outcomes aimed at reduction of chronic diseases risks. Engaging students in this program allows us to achieve two goals simultaneously: provide a practical community health improvement program that addresses key modifiable risks that are linked to chronic diseases, and at the same time train and engage our students who are future healthcare providers in delivering these services to our community.”
During Fall 2024, Hernandez worked closely with seniors at a Winter Park senior living facility, visiting with other students every two weeks to educate the seniors about the importance of physical activity, nutrition and overall wellness. “Our goal was to help [residents] understand that food and movement have a really big impact on overall health. It’s not just about working out,” Hernandez says.
The experience fostered a deep sense of connection between the students and the seniors. “We weren’t there to teach or monitor them,” Hernandez says. “We were there to be part of their community, to help where needed and to share knowledge.”
The program collaborates with Neighborhood Centers for Families (NCF) in Orange County. NCFs serve as one-stop centers offering education, health and employment services through partnerships with nonprofits, government agencies and community groups. “Delivering this initiative through NCF facilities provides community participants access to more services offered by NCF. Currently, there are no similar health and wellness services offered at NCF facilities. Because our program engages students who are pursuing careers in healthcare, our mission further ensures these students embrace community health improvement principles in their future healthcare practice” says Saleh.
Since its introduction in 2021, the Community Health Ambassadors program has provided hundreds of students with a hands-on learning opportunity to provide health screening and educational programming in the community. The Winter Park Health Foundation last year provided the program with a $50,000 grant to provide workshops and coaching to families in Winter Park and Eatonville to address health risk factors that contribute to heart disease and diabetes and prediabetes.
Hernandez’ experience is highlighted on the latest episode of Knight Life @UCF CHPS. The series showcases students’ unique experiences in internships, research, study abroad programs, specialized courses, student organizations and other high-impact opportunities that prepare them for their careers.
