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SPRING 2021
that the public can understand; we
need trained people, with this mindset
and professionalism, to come join our
table."
These are gaps she hopes today's
public health students will fill — and
after experiencing the pandemic,
they've already learned a fundamental
lesson that Borges shares with her
classes constantly: "Public health is
about listening to what's happening
visibility of the field is generating new
interest from students who may not
have otherwise chosen it as a career
track. These students are public
health's next generation of leadership.
"The interest in public health is
growing now, but still, we have a short-
age in our workforce," Borges says.
"We need new voices in our discus-
sions; we need people to enhance the
way we communicate in a lay language
out there," she says, "and discovering
how we can fight, prevent, and solve
that problem."
■
Alexandra Marvar is a freelance
writer based in Westerly, Rhode Island,
who has been featured in The New
York Times, The Nation, and
The Daily Beast.
BILL
CARDONI
