Nicole Parkison
Nicole Parkison is a graduate assistant in the Public Health Education Office at SUNY Brockport where she is working to complete her MPH after receiving her bachelor’s at the same university.
Currently, she is in a leadership position for the Brockport Public Health Club, where they participate in National Health Education Week and National Public Health Week and seeks to collaborate with community partners on and off campus to support the student body.
After her MPH, Parkison hopes to continue her education and pursue a PhD. She wants to pursue health education/health promotion because she believes that more people need to know about the field and the potential that health education/health promotion specialists are capable of.
She says that the public health field is exciting because it is always changing and adapting. The best career advice she has received was from a couple professors: “Remember you never know who you are going to meet and what people are going to see you. Always be genuine and authentic and think about what makes you stand out from others.”
With her time on campus, she loves to stay involved. She volunteers at SUNY Brockport, American Red Cross, and other local Monroe County, NY organizations. In Nicole’s free time, Nicole plays rugby, spends time with her family, plays cards, and trying different cuisines.
Do what makes you happy, do it for yourself. Don’t feel obligated to pursue a career just because someone before you has.