Maren is currently a first-year PhD student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Zilber School of Public Health studying Community and Behavioral Health Promotion. The UWM Zilber School of Public Health is the first accredited school of public health in the state of Wisconsin. Her previous studies at the University of Wisconsin – Waukesha and Beloit College (where she earned her B.A.), as well as her work as a Statistician and Advocate in Wisconsin, and as a Health Education Volunteer with the Peace Corps in Uganda, shaped her interest in public health. To Maren, public health represents the interdisciplinary bridge between academia and improved community health.
In addition to her current studies, Maren also volunteers with two local non-profits focused on community health and well-being, works as a Personal Trainer to promote healthy behaviors, and conducts research on the relationship between health literacy and population health. She is incredibly grateful for this scholarship as it will greatly enhance her education; it will allow Maren to devote more time to her school work and research by reducing her financial burden. Thus, this scholarship aids her in pursuing her eventual goal of working in a non-governmental organization to improve population health and reduce health disparities. Maren says she is incredibly grateful to have received this scholarship.
