Student Spotlight: Lauren McKenzie, piccolo

MMB piccolo Lauren McKenzie is taking her passion for global health to the next level in an internship with Child Family Health International (CFHI). 

"In my high school anatomy and physiology class, I watched the movie 'Outbreak,' which is basically an over-dramatized storytelling of the Ebola outbreak," McKenzie said. "It was so interesting to watch as all of these scientists worked with government officials to tackle a huge public health issue. I saw all the work that went into studying diseases and I was so enthralled with that world; I wanted to be a part of it."

McKenzie is based in a children's hospital in Accra, Ghana, with four other students from the U.S.

"I really like that CFHI takes in students from all over and gives them opportunities to work in all different areas around the world," McKenzie said. "Right now, we are shadowing a lot of doctors and officials pertaining to our specific interests in public health. We get to learn with them and interact with patients a little bit. We are fully immersed in our public health and medical culture and what they do here."

While interns cannot interact directly with patients, McKenzie has gotten a lot of exposure to the cultural inner workings of Ghana's healthcare system. 

"In the children's hospital, there are a lot of records on maternal health and welfare since maternal mortality rates are high," McKenzie said. "They are really focused on keeping mother and child healthy, especially in the early stages. One thing that's a little different here is that the mothers in the family keep a record of their family health instead of the hospital. The American medical system is very much in the hands of hospitals, but it is important for families to have a medical history on hand that they can access."

McKenzie hopes to get more exposure to public health systems around the world and hopes to have more opportunities to work abroad in the future.

"It's really cool, especially at such a young age, to be starting my career this early, in this way," McKenzie said. "I hope to gain more knowledge of different cultures, especially relating to public health and I want to communicate those aspects of each culture. I'm really excited to adapt to new things in my future in public health."

At UM, McKenzie is a Global and Environmental Health major at the College of Literature Science and the Arts (LSA).

"I've always been interested in prevention and control of diseases and public health was a good route to take with that," McKenzie said. "I didn't want to be a doctor, I wanted to do more political work where I could be active in the community."

Last winter, McKenzie joined Sigma Iota Rho, a professional fraternity for International Studies. 

"We hold weekly meetings about what's going on and what we can do," mcKenzie said. "It has been very helpful. I'm expanding my horizons with that new knowledge of the world and it brought me closer to people within my major."

This upcoming season, McKenzie will serve as piccolo section leader

"I think my favorite part [of the MMB] is the people in the band," McKenzie said. "Everyone greets everyone with open arms. I was the external social chair for the piccolos and became friends with a lot of people from other sections. I also loved the OSU game last year. It was spectacular. I was in pregame and the snow was ever so slowly falling and I remember getting a tear in my eye because it was such a beautiful moment."

In addition to her academic, professional, and musical commitments, McKenzie is also a part of the women's club water polo team, where she plays goalie. In order to balance numerous commitments, McKenzie tailored her schedule around possible conflicts, with classes during the middle of the day, band in the evening, and sports at night. 

Whether on the field, in the pool, in the classroom, or in Accra, McKenzie is expanding her talents and exploring new perspectives with an enthusiasm only a wolverine could possess.