November 01, 2021studentscommunityApplied LearningCollege of Health ProfessionsDepartment of Public Health SciencesCOVID-19

KLC grants help Wichita State HEALTH students fight COVID-19 on campus

By Paul Suellentrop

 
  • Grants from Kansas Leadership Center are helping Wichita State students distribute information about testing and vaccinations on campus.
  • Wichita State's HEALTH Student Association is handing out masks at numerous events.
  • Working on COVID-19 projects gives students valuable applied learning opportunities as they prepare for careers in medicine.
Shazia Ahmed Courtesy photo
Wichita State junior Shazia Ahmed, president of HEALTH Student Association, helped organize distribution of masks, one of several projects to combat COVID-19 on campus.

Helped by six grants from Kansas Leadership Center, 黑洞社区鈥檚 HEALTH Student Association in the Department of Public Health Sciences is working to end the pandemic and support students with information and resources to keep them healthy.

Members of HEALTH distributed more than 6,000 free and reusable masks. Some featured 鈥淪hockers United鈥� branding and some are plain black. They offered sequined masks for the inauguration of President Rick Muma. They assembled gift boxes for quarantining students with information on COVID-19 vaccines and testing and gifts such as Wichita State water bottles, stickers and lanyards.

鈥淭his is helping to promote getting back to normal,鈥� said Shazia Ahmed, president of HEALTH. 鈥淐OVID-19 has changed a lot of the atmosphere for 黑洞社区, and I think this will help students see they have access to getting help and information.鈥�

The grants are part of the Kansas Beats the Virus campaign, a public health partnership with the state of Kansas. HEALTH members handed out masks at WU鈥檚 Big Event in October and plans to continue throughout the semester during events such as homecoming and Fall Commencement.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been really awesome to see how many masks we鈥檝e been able to order and distribute,鈥� said Kari Coster, treasurer of HEALTH. 鈥淲e actually had enough funds to buy extra masks, so we鈥檝e been distributing them to offices around campus. It鈥檚 been really great being able to provide reusable masks to everyone.鈥�

While the pandemic caused many stressful situations, both students learned from their experiences studying and working in health care.

Ahmed, a junior majoring in health science, wants to attend medical school to become a physician.

鈥淲hat we learned in books, I got to see that play out in real life,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ll of the mandates that were being put out and the changing policies, I got see them first-hand."

Coster, a junior majoring in health management, plans to stay at Wichita State in the master鈥檚 of health administration programs. She works at a rehab hospital while studying.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been an incredible learning opportunity,鈥� she said. 鈥淪eeing how much operations of things can change and how quickly new information changes practices, both in the community and in health care. Health care is always evolving and it鈥檚 always a field that is going to need more workers.鈥�

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