“So What If I Don’t Get Into Med School?” and Tackling Addiction: Pivoting, Purpose, and Public Health Impact Across Two Classrooms

Today was a day. Full, aligned, and exactly the kind of impact I pray for ✨
I started with Dr. Niketta A. Womack, DrPH, MPH Intro to Epidemiology class at Spelman, and we got honest about “So What If I Don’t Get Into Med School?” This wasn’t just about careers. It was about identity, unlearning narrow definitions of success, and recognizing that purpose will always find you when you’re willing to pivot with intention 🔄
Then I closed out with the brilliant students in the Columbia University School of Social Work alongside Dr. L A McCrae for their Substance Use and Trauma course. We pushed past surface-level conversations and named what’s real. Social determinants don’t just shape addiction, they structure it, and if we’re serious about solutions, our responses have to be just as systemic 🧠
Two classrooms. Two conversations. One throughline. Be bold enough to think bigger about the impact you’re called to make 💡
Grateful for Dr. Niketta and Dr. LA for creating these spaces, and for every student who showed up ready to engage, question, and lead 🙌🏾 This is why I do what I do.