Charlotte, N.C./July 27, 2023 – Charlotte native and Public Health major Whittney Barringer ’24 is a prime example of a model scholar-athlete.
The Johnson C. Smith University softball player is just as active in the classroom as she is on the field, staying involved around campus as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Health and Human Performance Club while serving as the Coca-Cola campus ambassador.
However, it was the connections she made on the softball team that helped her land an internship with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) as a part of the department’s Historically Black Colleges and Minority Serving Institutions Internship Program.
“My teammate told me about the internship because she thought I would be a great fit since I’m majoring in Public Health,” said Barringer. “At first I wasn’t sure, then I went for it and applied for the internship.”
Barringer’s internship began June 2 and will end Aug. 11, just a few days before the fall semester begins.
She has focused much of her time in the prenatal and maternal health department where she has assisted in hosting town hall meetings within each region of the state. She has also created collateral materials like flyers, and is working on updating the state’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiatives website.
“While maternal mortality rates in North Carolina are among the lowest in the U.S., they remain disproportionately higher among Black and American Indian women, as well as those who live in rural areas compared to urban ones,” reads the NCDHHS website.
The town halls have aimed at educating the regions on prenatal care and the challenges some communities face in getting the support and information they need within the vital first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Barringer said she was most surprised to learn about the extent of health inequities as well as cancer prevention, environmental health and public health accreditations through the paid internship, which allowed her to experience hands-on training in the field of public health.
She fulfills the mission set forth by the internship program, which is looking to further diversify the public health workforce and provide experiential learning opportunities for young professionals.
"With this internship program, NCDHHS makes a crucial workforce investment and builds upon our strong partnership with North Carolina’s HBCUs and MSIs to engage students in learning firsthand about public health and human services careers,” said Angela Bryant, NCDHHS Assistant Secretary for Equity and Inclusion in the Health Equity Portfolio. “NCDHHS and its Division of Public Health are excited Whittney has chosen to join 49 other students and recent graduates in making a difference for North Carolina residents through this internship.”
Barringer, who is minoring in Sports Medicine, said her classes at JCSU have been instrumental in preparing her for her future career and the internship itself.
“Some of the classes I have taken have helped me realize what path of health I want to go into,” said Barringer, adding that her classes helped her identify various health terms that have been used a lot throughout her 10-week summer experience.
After graduating from JCSU, Barringer aspires to earn a master’s degree in either Kinesiology or Public Health with hopes of a career in physical therapy or athletic training.
To learn more about the Public Health major at JCSU, visit the program’s webpage.
