Our 5th EXCO’s Volunteer Corps Director Shares Her Deep Passion for Giving Back to the Community

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. 

While it is still a budding department in the Public Health Club (PHC), the Volunteer Corps has already initiated various volunteering projects in just its first year. Helming the department as director is Rachel Goh, who pursues a minor in public health on top of her primary degree in life sciences.

As someone who has always been deeply curious about the interconnectivity of the world we live in, Rachel passionately shared how the minor really affirmed her beliefs: “Studying Public Health is like a zoomed-out point of view of studying Life Sciences.”

For example, when thinking about how pathogens affect humans in the lens of life sciences, one may be interested in how a single pathogen causes harm within a single person's body and how there's variation within each person's body - it may be more microscopic in nature. In contrast when viewed in the public health lens, it is more macroscopic in nature: about how this same pathogen can affect thousands of lives in many different ways, which has to do with “a very complex interplay and input of external stakeholders outside of the individual themselves”.

By taking the public health modules offered by Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, it was clear to Rachel that “something as simple as the mindset of an individual, could possibly influence health outcomes for not just themselves, but people in their various spheres of life as well.”  The exposure she gained from the modules, which she found to be tangible, real-world applications of the knowledge garnered from Life Sciences, was extremely valuable. This has given more meaning and context to her academic pursuits.

Gaining a broadened understanding of multidisciplinary collaboration from public health, she was inspired to use her unique background to contribute to enhancing the wellbeing of her community - as she vehemently believes “There is so much to be done everywhere and [there is] certainly something that everyone, no matter who you are, can get involved in.”

With that, brimming with ideas of ways she could get involved in improving the health of others, Rachel joined the Public Health Club as the Volunteer Corps Director, where she got to oversee projects while further honing her leadership and communication skills. In her term of service, she oversaw the initiation and planning of various volunteering, educational and advocacy-related initiatives catered to the Singapore population, focused on improving individual and population health outcomes.

Some projects the Volunteer Corps AY22/23 initiated are:

• Project Lighthouse: A regular volunteering project in partnership with NKF Singapore, where student volunteers befriended dialysis patients.

• Project RaDiant: A series of three fundraisers that raised funds for the Rare Disorders Society (Singapore).

• The Caterpillar Club: held in partnership with aLife Limited, Caterpillar Club helped to educate youth on emotional-wellness through interactive activities.

Passionate to give back to the community by improving health outcomes, Rachel leverages the opportunities PHC provides to make that a reality. To conclude, for those seeking to do the same in pursuing their passion or interests, Rachel advised: “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes but definitely try to enjoy yourself while making the most of your time in PHC. Every new experience naturally comes with its own set of uncertainties and unknowns, but with every hurdle you overcome, you will gain invaluable experience and fresh perspectives.”

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).