Willis Sanders ‘16 came to snowy Syracuse University from Houston, Texas and declared a major in public health his sophomore year. “I knew that I wanted to help people and potentially save lives,” says Sanders. Recognizing physical health as one of the most basic foundations of life and that social circumstances have a profound impact on health, Sanders knew that a career in public health would give him opportunities to have a positive influence.
As part of its rigorous program accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, Falk College’s public health students complete a total of 480 hours of service learning work, culminating in the senior capstone internship, a nine-credit, 400-hour hands-on learning experience.
“Community-based learning experiences provide public health majors with opportunities to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world public health challenges,” says public health associate professor and undergraduate director Maureen Thompson, Ph.D. “These are a critical component of the public health program at Falk College.”
Sanders completed his internship at the Central Village Boys and Girls Club of Syracuse, where Sanders worked with inner-city youth. “The children I worked with all came from underrepresented communities. Most did not have dominant male figures in their lives,” says Sanders. “I took this internship as an opportunity to motivate and encourage in these children the importance of self-worth and determination.”
But Sanders put more than his public health skill set into practice during his internship. He and the children starred in a music video for “Believe It,” a song Sanders wrote. “The idea of creating this music video came from my heart. Music has always been a passion of mine and I wanted to share my passion with these children.”
The lyrics speak about overcoming obstacles, not letting others define you, and being determined to succeed. “I wanted to encourage these children to believe in themselves despite the circumstances and situations that they may encounter,” Sanders says. “I wanted to inspire and motivate as many children as I could. I wanted to leave an everlasting impression that will never be forgotten.”
“I’m still trying to figure out exactly what career path I want to take with public health but I am positive that Oncology will be my field of interest,” Sanders explains. “I have family history with numerous relatives that have lost their lives as result of being diagnosed with cancer. I eventually want to find a cure and potentially try to save as many lives, and help as many people as I can.” Sanders graduated in December and plans to start his career at organ donation agency, LifeGift.