Jayden Walker

Responsibilities

Attend meetings, attend yearly public health conference, learn about various youth health surveys in Iowa, Investigate/Understand how programs use Iowas youth health surveys, create stakeholder list, create and distribute questionnaire for stakeholders, write report over results, present data to department staff

Accomplishments

My biggest accomplishment was creating and distributing a 10-question survey designed for stakeholders fo the Iowa Youth Health surveys. The goal was so inform the data lifecycle and retrieve the most effective data for stakeholders. On top of that, I created a full report over the results that will be used for future program purposes. At the very end, I presented all of my information to the Iowa Youth Risk behavior Advisory Committee.

Learning experience

I was able to learn a lot from me time but one of the biggest things I leaned is that it is okay to lean on others for help. I got to see first-hand how each position collaborated and worked together on different things. At the beginning, I assumed that everyone did their own thing but I learned that there is actually a big emphasis on teamwork. It is reassuring that even in a professional atmosphere like the IDPH that you can always have help from your coworkers.

What advice would you give?

Do not be afraid to ask question and make mistakes! In the beginning, I did not want to bother my supervisor with questions or become annoying. But that was not the case at all, she was completely supportive and gave me endless opportunities. I did my best work when I asked questions and learned the most when I received constructive feedback.