Valerie Eldridge

Hometown: Alliance, OH

Educational Background:  BA in French and Environmental Stues with a concentration in Public Health from Wesleyan University

Host Site: Florida Department of Health at Nassau County

What is your role at your host site?

I will be offering Healthy Start services and education to prenatal women and infants, ensuring that women are accessing family planning services without encountering barriers, and teaching a Teening Up parenting course, while also providing outreach at community events.

Why did you join AmeriCorps/National Health Corps?

I joined AmeriCorps as a way to represent my values through service. I wanted to be able to dedicate nearly an entire year to working towards better health outcomes for underrepresented, underserved, or simply populations in need.

What are you hoping to gain from your year of service?

I hope to first and foremost learn as much as I can about as many things as I can, whether it is from mentors, other members, or people I encounter through my service. I want to experience as many new things as possible, even if they are out of my comfort zone. I also want to work on finding a niche in public health that I would like to make into a career.

What are your plans after AmeriCorps service?

After AmeriCorps, I hope to spend another year exploring various aspects of public health and medicine in some way before heading to graduate school.

Where do you envision yourself in 5 years?

In five years, I will still be serving in one way or another, not through AmeriCorps, but through a personal dedication to service. I will be working on or finished with my master’s degree in public health or a related field, and hopefully, I will also have spent some more time studying in another country.