Hello! My name is Nancy Morin and I’m from Sturgeon Falls, a small town in Northern Ontario. I completed a bachelor's degree in biomedical science at the University of Ottawa, and during my fourth year, I started volunteering on campus as a peer educator with the Health Promotion team. I was fortunate to work with this team for two years, during which I educated thousands of students on topics that are important to me.
During my first year as a volunteer, I was a member of the sexual health team. As a member of this team, I helped educate students about protection, consent, contraceptive methods, sexually transmitted diseases, and the difference between a healthy relationship and an unhealthy one. I presented posters created by members of our campus student team and attended presentations by organizations that specialize in sexual health.
During my second year as a volunteer, I was a member of the global health team, through which I helped create information sheets that were then presented to students. I also helped these students find out how to better sort their trash, choose more equitable products that are better for the environment, and learn more about vaccination and public health.
Not only did these two years as a volunteer help me develop my leadership skills and educate me on health issues I had not yet been taught, but also it motivated me to pursue studies in a field where health promotion is central to the profession. This volunteer experience greatly enhanced my professional development and really helped me reach my academic goals. I am now in my first year of medical school at uOttawa’s Faculty of Medicine and I intend to continue to promote health within our most vulnerable populations. I will continue to learn more and to educate people so they can make informed decisions.
Thank you to everyone who participates in promoting health.