As a 16-year-old student at Westerville Central High School, Prisha Malik aspired to positively impact her community.
Photo courtesy of Prisha Malik
Specifically, she was interested in public health and wellness policies, and as a junior in high school, she noticed there was a lack of student voices discussing these societal issues.
“For a long time, I wanted to do something for my community, and I was feeling lost,” Malik said. “It felt like there weren’t many opportunities for me as a teenager in public safety and health.”
Luckily, the Ohio Department of Health presented an opportunity for her to pursue her goals.
Malik saw a flyer in the library advertising a teen program developed by the Ohio Department of Health called The Adolescent Health Program. The program is a new initiative that promotes teen involvement concerning wellness policies put in place in Ohio and encourages youth to connect with healthcare systems and school partnerships.
For Malik and many other Ohio teens, this initiative was a gateway to many opportunities. The application process for the program was tedious, according to Malik. From completing her application to attending interviews, it took nearly a month for Malik to be selected and admitted to the program.
The Adolescent Health Program allows students to offer suggestions and be a part of the conversation on community wellness topics. As a member of the wellness team, Malik is required to attend monthly meetings and participate in group discussions. These meetings have introduced her to public health concerns such as food shortages, mental health, and physical well-being.
“We all give our perspective on issues regarding public health that are concerning different regions,” Malik said. “There’s a lot of other issues regarding transportation and mental health so we all take a look at those issues and different projects that are happening within the department.”
Photo courtesy of Prisha Malik
Through this program with the Ohio Department of Health, Malik has had the opportunity to meet many individuals with similar passions as her. Collaborating with like-minded teens and policymakers, Malik has developed new friendships with people sharing her desire to positively influence their community.
For Malik, being included in the conversation at a young age has provided her with the experience she craved. Joining the program was only the beginning, and actively participating in the effort to create change is something that brings Malik purpose in her daily life.
“I hope to help some of the policymaking because we have discussed a lot on drug abuse and different health issues such as obesity, and I want there to be more awareness of this,” Malik says.
Going forward, Malik plans to continue contributing to discussions and working with different departments and programs to further her experience and improve the community in any way she can.
“I want to help future members to continue working on the issues we’re currently working on and to help them because I wish that one day, all of these issues are resolved, even if it doesn’t happen in the time that I’m on the team,” she says.
Amber Phipps is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
