The Belonging Fellowship Scholarship gave Este Stringham the chance to explore both preventative medicine and storytelling through public health. From cancer research to internships, Stringham uses her passion for writing and science to advocate for better healthcare practices.
Este Stringham decided to pursue public health because she knew it would allow her to make a real difference in the world.
“There are so many things to explore in the public health world that can impact and hopefully change the world for the better,” she said.
After her grandma was diagnosed with cancer, Stringham realized how much she cared about helping people in more than just a medical way.
“I feel like my truest self when I’m connecting with people on a personal level and then helping them to flourish in some way,” she said.
With the support of the Belonging Fellowship Scholarship, Stringham gained opportunities to work in preventive medicine. This summer, she will intern at Halea Therapeutics, which focuses on preventative pharmaceutical options.
“For me, this is a really big deal because I don’t want to just work for any pharmaceutical company,” she said. “I want to do something preventive.”
Stringham has also enjoyed the duality of combining storytelling with a medical perspective. By working as a technical writer for OIT at BYU, she has been able to talk to others about their work to publicize research and projects involving engineers.
She has also had the opportunity to publicize and write about research students and faculty have been doing in the College of Life Sciences. Through these experiences, Stringham has been able to draw people’s attention to changes that are happening in the world.
“I love the aspect of storytelling to help people flourish as well as the more medical side of taking care of someone’s physical needs,” she said.
Beyond prevention and storytelling, Stringham has pursued countless opportunities in public health, including shadowing surgeons in Greece, obtaining a cancer research award, and collaborating with Dr. Chantel Sloan on research.