By Starling Shan, 2nd-year MSc-GH student
“Be nice to people” is one of the messages that still resonates with me a few weeks after talking to Dr. Laura Hoemeke, the director of communications and advocacy at IntraHealth. This message reflects how positive connections and “nice returns” have helped Dr. Hoemeke carve her successful career path.
During the career talk, Dr. Hoemeke emphasized the importance of being sincere and helpful to other people because the world is interconnected, and you never know what connection will affect your future. “Successful careers are built on networks and relationships,” she said. “Relationships aren’t transactional, but are built over time by proving yourself to be trustworthy and competent—and a nice, genuine individual.”
Dr. Hoemeke has been on long-term missions in the Central African Republic, Benin, Senegal and Rwanda. In the Central African Republic, she was a Peace Corps volunteer, and in Benin, she served as a USAID family health technical advisor for four years. Like many young folks interested in international development issues, she spent much of her time on the ground in developing countries.
However, what surprised me was that her family did not understand why she needed to spend so much time abroad for her work. “My parents kept thinking that I would ‘get it out of my system’ and move back to the U.S.,” she said. “It took a while for them and others to understand that I needed to follow my passions, and that it didn’t mean that I was abandoning the family!”
There is a constant struggle among new graduates seeking career paths in the global health arena, who wonder how much travel their career will involve. Many students entering the field of global health have family members that don’t travel at all for their work. How can a new graduate help their family understand traveling abroad is part of their career?
Also, many global health graduates in the United States find themselves asking, “Should I seek employment in the U.S. or should I go into the field for a few years?” It is very encouraging to hear from someone who has worked in global health for more than 25 years and travels very frequently, and although her family members don’t quite understand why she does this, they accept her decision because they see her positivity, determination and pride in her career.
It’s very stressful doing fieldwork and seeking job opportunities, but I believe my peers and colleagues in global health have great strengths and invaluable intrinsic virtues. As I move forward in my global health career, it is my hope that I can consistently tap into my own strengths and virtues while interacting positively with people on a daily basis. I believe this is an art that affects everyone around us and helps us build positive relationships.
At the career talk, I experienced this art first hand from Dr. Laura Hoemeke.
