Molly Spilka

Molly Spilka

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Hometown: Long Island, New York

Educational background: B.A. in Biology from Reed College in Portland, Oregon (2014)

Host Site: Florida Department of Health at Duval County

 

What is your title and role at your host site? As the Pre-Conceptional/Inter-Conceptional Health Educator at FDOH-Duval, I provide reproductive health education to a teen and young adult population. My objective is to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and infection rates of STDs by leading educational classes and presentations in a number of Duval County community centers. I develop training curriculum for community stakeholders and education providers. Additionally, I facilitate training for student Peer Health Educators to help engage fellow students in discussions about sexual health risk reduction.


Why did you join AmeriCorps/National Health Corps? My senior year of college, I spent countless hours at a lab bench working on my cellular and molecular biology thesis. I realized that though I found research satisfying from an intellectual standpoint, I was not fully fulfilled because I missed working with people. I have always been interested in social justice issues and I am passionate about making healthcare information accessible and understandable to everyone. I think that serving with North Florida Health Corps will allow me to become a better advocate for patients from underserved communities because I will learn about the barriers they face through direct service. I joined AmeriCorps/National Health Corps because I wanted to spend a year after college helping others.


What are you hoping to gain from your year of service? I am hoping to share my passion for sexual and reproductive health with others. I hope to be able to make what can sometimes be a stigmatized and awkward topic more accessible and less overwhelming to the teenagers and young adults I serve. I also hope to learn much more about the causes of health disparities in traditionally underserved populations while also gaining better teaching and public speaking skills. Lastly, I am excited to network with healthcare and public health professionals.


What are your plans after AmeriCorps service? I am not sure! I am keeping an open mind and hoping to see where the world takes me.


Where do you envision yourself in 5 years? Hopefully in Medical School. Definitely serving my community in some capacity.