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As a Graduate Research Assistant in Associate Professor Ashli Owen-Smith's Adopt a School Project, MPH student Laura Valentina Davis is dedicated to crafting impactful public health interventions to prevent mental illness among youths in vulnerable communities.
Name: Laura Valentina Davis
Hometown: Maracaibo, Venezuela
Undergraduate degree and institution:
B.S. in Psychology with minor in Clinical Psychology, Rafael Urdaneta University; B.S. in Psychology with minor in Social Psychology, Georgia Gwinnett College
Expected date of graduation: Spring 2027
Why did you choose the Georgia State School of Public Health?
After being rejected from several Ph.D. programs and while working in the field of addiction recovery, I realized that my calling was not experimental social psychology, but the overlap between community and public health and psychology. Once I learned of the MPH program at Georgia State, I attended a research fair that confirmed my desire to join the school. I met wonderful faculty members and students and, most importantly, I learned of the work they were doing in Atlanta and knew I wanted to be part of it.
Georgia State offers an MPH and a Ph.D. in Community Psychology dual program, which I thought was the perfect combination of my interests. I decided to start with the MPH to see where that preparation could take me, and I am very happy with my choice. Georgia State is not only within my community, but it is also affordable, and the quality of the program has been excellent.
Which MPH concentration did you choose, and why?
I chose Health Promotion and Behavior because it described the type of professional I want to be, a professional who promotes healthy behaviors to reduce diseases and improve quality of life, and a professional who merges with the community to learn from its members while supporting them in the process of improving their health. I am particularly interested in mental health, and it felt like this concentration was the best fit considering my previous professional experiences.
What has been your favorite class in the SPH so far, and why?
I am in my second semester, so I have only taken a few classes. So far, the “Fundamentals of Health Systems” class was a complete eye opener to the flaws and complexities of our health system. This class put into words and showed me through data what I suspected from this country’s health care system; the same health care system I tried to navigate with my clients as their care coordinator in the recovery field. This class served as an inspiration to support change at the systemic level, and it showed me the importance of collective impact as a way toward meaningful change.
What advice would you give undergraduate students considering pursing an MPH at Georgia State?
I heard once that you make the program what you want it to be, and I think that’s true. So, if you are going to do it, find your “why,” and then devote yourself to that purpose and make connections with people who have similar goals and even different points of view throughout the program; networking is an essential aspect of public health as a profession. Also, try to get to know the faculty and their experiences in the field; they are full of wisdom and connections. In sum, my advice is to dive in, take home as much as you can and make connections that will last a lifetime. They will be useful when you aim to make the social change that you dream of. We need as many determined and passionate people as we can get in the field to make a much-needed and noticeable impact.
Tell us about your extracurricular involvement.
Currently I am working with Dr. Owen-Smith as her lead Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) in the Adopt a School Project. The Adopt a School Project is an initiative funded by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities focusing on raising awareness about opioid misuse and overdose prevention in youth. I also work as a behavioral health specialist at an eating disorder treatment center. There I lead coping skill groups and teach patients about health behaviors and healthy coping strategies. Both positions have been deeply rewarding!
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
I love the fifth floor of the library, the quiet floor. The combination of the view and the silence is very grounding to me. That is my go-to place to work when I don’t want to be inside the four walls of the Adopt a School Lab.
What’s your career aspiration?
With the experience I am gaining as Dr. Owen-Smith’s GRA and as a behavioral health specialist in the clinical field, I hope to continue to participate in the creation and implementation of public health interventions targeted to prevent mental illness in the most vulnerable communities, especially our youth. A professional role that merges health education, community support and health promotion would be the ideal career path for me.