Roo Harrigan ‘11

Roo Harrigan, William and Mary Class of 2011, is a pre-Med Anthropology major who recently switched from Biology, a Monroe scholar who spent last summer in Costa Rica, and an active member of the sexual health branch of H.O.P.E. She has a lot of passions and plans to act on them.

HC: So, why the late switch to an Anthropology Major, even though you are attempting to go pre-Med?

RH: Well, you can’t treat people if you don’t understand them. I have always been really interested in medicine and the social science aspect of women’s health. Whether that means I become an Ob-Gyn or Osteopathic Physician, I don’t really know yet.

HC: What inspired you to actually start to take those steps?

Your browser may not support display of this image. RH: Well, when I was a Monroe scholar in Costa Rica last summer working on my project, “Organic Farm Producticity as a Function of Family Dynamics,” I began to discover my passion for medicine was much stronger than my interest in my project topic. I had a friend who had an internship there at a free clinic and I met with some inspirational women’s doctors there. Also, I became fascinated by the work of Paul Farmer, who has a lifelong commitment to helping the world’s poorest populations such as Haiti. He is an infectious disease specialist whose philosophy I really identify with-“The only nation is that of humanity.”

HC: What are you involved with on campus that you are passionate about?

RH: I work with the sexual health branch of H.O.P.E. We focus on peer education and awareness weeks. I also helped spearhead the Condoms in CSU program, that’s my baby. The flyers with the “Happy Condom” on them? That was me. I also had the opportunity to go to a conference with H.O.P.E. and present a how-to program for other universities on how to implement the Condoms in CSU program. I also worked with available student funding to secure free testing for STDs at the health center on campus.

HC: How can readers get involved in H.O.P.E. and its events?

RH: Joining H.O.P.E. is a long process but it is worth it. There is recruitment throughout the fall and a mandatory three-credit class in the spring to register for. The class is informative about sexual and mental health and also, how to run programming. Sexual Health Awareness Week actually starts up in two weeks on February 15th! We also put on a program called “Better Sex in Fifteen Minutes” that is all about better sex with condoms, better positions, and tips for orgasms. We have put on these presentations for fraternities, RA’s, and various organizations. If anyone is looking for more information, it can be found online or at the Fishbowl (in the Campus Center.) Our goal is to provide relevent, reliable information directed at the college community and that’s what we do.