School of Public Health Students Named Schweitzer Fellows

Three students from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health have been named 2022-23 Houston Galveston Schweitzer Fellows by the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Houston Galveston (ASFHG). Emily Koch, Mia Putnam and Philip Sanusi are among the 150 Fellows that will spend a year learning to address the unmet health needs of vulnerable communities in the area.

Mia Putnam and Emily Koch will be partnering with Still Creek Ranch to create a hands-on nutrition education program for the students at Still Creek. This program will include gardening, harvesting and cooking classes that revolve around a nutritious lifestyle to supplement education for students of all ages at Still Creek Ranch, a foster care alternative for youth.

Phillip Sanusi will be partnering with an interfaith ministry to address the unmet health needs of refugees resettling in Houston, Texas. Through a health care literacy program, he hopes to empower them with the necessary tools to navigate the American health care system, reach optimal health, and become community leaders.

The Fellows will complete year-long mentored community service projects in partnership with community agencies while receiving training in cultural competency, public speaking, project management and the social determinants of health. A strong focus is placed on sustainability so that the project can continue beyond the Fellowship year.

The Fellowship also provides mentoring to develop lifelong service leadership skills and advance physician-humanitarian Albert Schweitzer’s message of service.