Gwendolyn Simpson is a second-year student in the MPH in Epidemiology program and the Graduate Community Engagement Certificate program who completed her Applied Practice Experience with UD Partnership for Healthy Communities. She worked with several of their partners including the Mobile Health Van Initiative, now called HEALTH for All, which brings education, community health, and wellness checks to underserved Delaware areas. She also participated in the collaboration with DelawareSHIP, helping to write the Delaware SHIP 2020 annual report regarding the priority areas of chronic diseases, substance use, mental health, and maternal and child health. When asked what strengthening the community means to her, she shared “Community means togetherness…We aren’t united when there are individuals battling disadvantages and inequity. Every community is different so we must recognize and address the specific gaps to improve the health and well-being for the whole community."

Erin Ridout is a second year MPH student who is no stranger to strengthening her community. Erin works with the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence as the Community Health Program Manager while working towards her MPH! Specifically, she works to manage a project that utilizes Community Health Workers to respond to domestic violence as a public health problem. Erin also works with healthcare providers around ways to recognize and respond to domestic violence. When asked what strengthening community means to her, she replied, “Creating resilience, nurturing resilience that exists; focusing on what is already great about a community in order to build upon it.” Erin is pictured sharing LGBTQ-specific resources around domestic violence.