Charli Fernandez graduated with a BA in Women’s Studies, and minors in Health Disparities in Society and Disabilities in Society in 2023. She is currently earning her master’s degree in public health with a concentration in Behavioral, Social and Health Education Science at Emory Rollins School of Public Health.
I had always planned on becoming a doctor. My advisor in high school said to me that every medical school knew you could “do science” so it was up to me to showcase my ability to “do things” outside of chemistry or biology. With that advice in mind, I decided to major in Women’s Studies. At first, my family didn’t understand how a degree in Women’s Studies would help me get into medical school, but it was a great balance to all the STEM classes I was taking. I quickly became obsessed with what I was studying. Taking Women’s Studies classes helped me understand the plight of women around the world and in the US.
I learned about gender, race, sexuality, and how those things, along with so many others, influence the way women function in society. I had the pleasure of taking two classes with Dr. Maddy Coy, who is a fabulous teacher. Coming from STEM classes where I sometimes felt like just a face in the crowd, I suddenly felt seen and understood in my Women’s Studies classes. I eventually added two minors: Health Disparities in Society and Disabilities in Society. The combination of pre-med classes and these three tracks ignited a passion for public healthcare that I did not have before. Understanding the disparities people face due to healthcare systems, and socioeconomic and racial disparities, made me modify my career goal. I decided I wanted to advocate for others so that everyone could receive the healthcare they deserve.
With this new passion in mind, I decided to put medical school on the backburner and instead focus on public health. I am currently working toward my master’s in public health at Emory Rollins School of Public Health. I am extremely grateful to be a student and serve as the secretary for the Rollins Student Government association. I have a special interest in sexual and reproductive health and am an active member of the Emory Reproductive Health Association. I am currently working with the Emory Prevention Research Center, specifically on the Breathe Easy Georgia Homes project. I plan to continue this work and begin working on sexual health research being conducted at Emory and in Atlanta.
The knowledge I gained in my Women’s Studies classes changed the course of my life for the better, and I am extremely grateful for the people I met during my time as a Women’s Studies major at the University of Florida.