A group of high school girls learned about numerous health care career opportunities at UAMS during a “Health Career Chat” on Feb. 16.
Camille Hart, program manager for community engagement in the Translational Research Institute, and founder of the “Girls Night In,” brought students from her hometown of Arkadelphia to UAMS to have a “Health Career Chat.”
“Girls Night In” is an informal regular gathering for black high school girls in Arkadelphia to have a safe space to discuss various topics and participate in activities.
“When I was in high school in Arkadelphia there was not much to do so I thought why not get a group of girls to discuss different topics and to give us something to do,” Hart said.
She planned this event to help teen girls learn more about health professions and to see the potential career opportunities that are out there for black women.
The event started with a visited Better Community Development, Inc., then to the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health (COPH) and concluded at the Central Arkansas Library System Butler Center. During the day the girls heard from various black women that work in a health care field or have a public health profession at UAMS.
While at the COPH, they visited with Mildred Randolph, DVM, director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine at UAMS; COPH faculty: Keneshia Bryant-Moore, Ph.D, RN, associate professor and Tiffany Hayes, Ph.D, assistant professor, both in the Health Behavior Health Education Department; Creshelle Nash, Ph.D, assistant professor in the Health Policy and Management department; Nakita Lovelady, a COPH Ph.D student; and Gloria Richard-Davis, M.D., professor and director of the Division on Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the College of Medicine.
Each presenter talked to the girls about their careers, how they got there and even offered advice on college, scholarships and life lessons.
“I want these girls to see the potential opportunities that are out there for black women,” Hart said.