Claire’s been working hard to create awareness about problems seen in the health field, and we here at Her Campus Michigan are incredibly impressed. Her enthusiasm about women’s health in particular is the reason why we’ve chosen her as December’s Campus Cutie!
Name: Claire Champlain
Year: Junior
Major: Women’s Studies
Her Campus: Explain some of your goals and after college plans for our Her Campus readers.
Claire Champlain: I’m going to be a Hospital Administrator, so after my finishing up at Michigan, I’ll get my Masters in Health Services Administration through the school of Public Health. However, if all goes as planned I will be volunteering through the Peace Corp to create a sexual health educational program in a Latin American country prior to starting my Masters degree.
HC: That sounds amazing Claire. What got you so involved in health?
CC: It was my own experiences dealing with the health care system that got me really interested in working to better patient-centered care within hospitals and was also the catalyst for my Women’s Studies major.
HC: So are you a member of any campus clubs that relate to health?
CC: Sexperteam is a club on campus that really works to promote sexual health through a manner that’s inclusive to all sexual orientations and identities. My job as a part of Sexperteam is to facilite programs and provide campus outreach. Essentially, I plan activities that will be pertinent or interesting to the students on campus.
HC: What makes it fun for you?
CC: What really makes it interesting is the diverse group of people involved in Sexperteam, as well as just the interest and the questions that other students ask us. The ability to connect and educate students on how sexual health is related to so many aspects of peoples lives is really rewarding.
HC: That sounds amazing, do you do any other campus health activities?
CC: I volunteer with HARC which is a community outreach program for individuals with HIV/AIDs where they can get access to effective information about their status and where to get clean materials.
HC: So I know you’re involved in the Greek Life community as well. Would you want to do something health related with them?
CC: Actually, I’m working on that right now! As the new Vice President of Recruitment for all of Panhellenic, I’m working with SAPAC to create a program specific to situations that happen within the Greek community. The purpose of this program is to create a more realistic way for new members to voice their concerns about the issues that they’ve already faced concerning unhealthy drinking habits and other problems. It will provide a forum to debrief about concerns while giving them educational information specific to those types of situations.
HC: So what do you think is the most important thing for us to keep in mind in regards to our personal health?
CC: I think everyone needs to pay better attention to how we talk about sexual health within our everyday lives and eliminate the taboos we have about sexual health. Part of that I think comes from hospitals changing the way in which they talk about these topics.
-To join with Sexperteam, apply in the fall 2015 at uhs.umich.edu/sexperteam
-More information about volunteering with HARC can be found on HIVAIDSresource.com