October 5, 2026

Catherine Turner, who graduated in 2026 with a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Community Health and Prevention and a minor in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) from Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health, is this month's featured author for MCH Leads.

In her entry for MCH Leads' Health Equity Edition, titled "Kids Are Our Future: What We Can Learn From Them and How We Can Advocate For Their Health," Catherine reflects on her Applied Practice Experience (APE) at the Bridging the Gaps program.

During this practicum, she worked with children on improving their health literacy through lessons focused oral health, mental health, cardiovascular health, and more.

Her APE "sparked my passion to advocate for children’s health and learn about race-based disparities in pediatric care, inspiring me to dive deeper into this public health area and work towards creating potential solutions to combat this issue."

Read Catherine's interview on MCH Leads.

MCH Leads is a national student-led Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Trainee blog that serves as a forum for students affiliated with the HRSA-funded Centers of Excellence and Catalyst programs to share their MCH experiences.

Dornsife's Maternal and Child Health Center of Excellence is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information about HRSA, please visit HRSA.gov.