Embodying Open-mindedness and Resilience: Clara's Undergraduate Journey in Public Health

Disclaimer: All opinions and views expressed in this article are solely those of the individuals providing them and do not reflect the opinions and views of the NUS Public Health Club, the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and their respective affiliates or employees. 

As the Vice-President of Public Health Club, Clara collaborates closely with the NUS Health & Wellbeing Office and Project Directors to lead six Healthy Campus Initiatives, namely, Project 40cents, SPECTRUM, Heart to Health Talk, New Normal New You, Lunch oN US, and Public Health Challenge. 

Clara shared that she took on this role because the importance of implementing the Healthy Campus Initiatives resonated with her. She strongly believed that the projects have the potential to not only make a direct impact on the members of the Club, but also for the wider student body in NUS. One of the projects she oversaw, Project 40cents, was implemented in NUS Techno Edge Canteen. It aimed to encourage healthier eating among students and staff by offering discounted rates for healthier food options. Seeing how this project motivated the NUS community towards healthier living, she was heartened that it was able to impact their lives.

She also found fulfilment in her role as she enjoyed programme planning and execution. A leader with a growth mindset, she deemed the challenges faced as opportunities for learning. Clara shared that one of the biggest challenges she faced was the pandemic’s effect on project implementation. The planning of Project 40cents happened when the COVID-19 situation was increasingly volatile and safe-distancing measures were enforced nationwide. Despite the difficulties, the team demonstrated resilience and adaptability. The team was concerned that their potential outreach might be limited and as a result, postponed the execution of the project. “We learned how to be adaptable in overcoming these challenges, postponing the launch of Project 40cents so that when more students have returned to school, we’ll be able to encourage healthy eating habits on a larger scale,” Clara shared.

Due to the pandemic, Clara recalled that the team was not able to meet each other in-person often. As someone who cherishes the joy of meeting people, she shared that the most memorable moment was finally being able to get together with her teammates. “I think it was very touching, from only seeing each other through the screen, to finally bonding over dinner.” 

Her time in the Public Health Club had led her to explore and pursue her interest. Likewise, internships also helped her explore her passion, and she approached them with a positive attitude. Clara shared that in the summer break of the 3rd Year, she worked as an intern at the Department of Physiotherapy in Tan Tock Seng Hospital. She found it interesting that there were supporting roles other than physiotherapists. For example, there are care coordinators who assist the physiotherapist, and nurses, surgeons and doctors who help facilitate the patient’s care journey from home to hospital, and back to home in the community. It was a very insightful and fulfilling experience that provided her with greater insights on the healthcare industry. Moving forward, Clara hopes to explore the pharmaceutical industry with her current internship with GSK as part of the Oncology Marketing team.

All in all, Clara’s open mind and resilient heart inspires us. This is echoed in the advice she would like to give to future PHC members: To be open in finding people that are like-minded in the public health community and to have a clear idea of what they wish to take away from the Public Health Club.   

We express our gratitude to the staff advisors at Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, Dr Andre Matthias Müller and Ms Wendy Tan Mei Ling, for their guidance and support provided to us in the PHC Alumni Relations Interview Series (AY2022/2023).