August 7, 2017 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu
Choosing Carolina for her bachelor’s degree was an easy decision for Alexis Lindsey, who grew up just an hour away in Rock Hill. “The environment and opportunities offered by USC are what sealed the deal for me,” says Lindsey. “USC has great programs and an awesome reputation of prestige.”
For Lindsey, those opportunities included a choice of more than 100 health science degree programs. “Health has always been a passion of mine, and college exposed me to many different health careers,” she says. “The public health program at USC pushed me to become in-tune with my strengths and weaknesses, and I realized that I was more interested in creating policy change.”
Through her undergraduate experience, Lindsey became interested in combatting health disparities, particularly in the African American Community. She is dedicated to treating health services as an inalienable right rather than a commodity.
She also found mentors in associate dean for undergraduate affairs Sara Corwin and public health instructor April Winningham. “Dr. Corwin helped me uncover my passions and provided me with resources to achieve my goals. Her encouragement and positivity urged me to persevere through challenges,” says Lindsey. “Dr. Winningham is very devoted to the field and her students, and you cannot find many professors who are as dedicated as she is. I have always respected and appreciated her wisdom.”
Outside the Arnold School, Lindsey volunteered with the Department of Juvenile Justice, helping to draft and implement new physical and mental health activities for female residents through the structural recreation program. As a member of the Iota Chi chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated at USC, she also participated in community service activities with Harvest Hope, Transitions Homeless Recovery Center, and others to improve health conditions and aid underserved populations in Richland County.
These experiences have helped Lindsey prepare for the next chapter—a position with Upper Midlands Rural Health Network. As project coordinator, she will work on The Duke Endowment-funded Healthy People, Healthy Carolinas initiative in Fairfield County. The initiative has enabled Fairfield Memorial Hospital to partner with Fairfield Community Coordinating Council in implementing an evidence-based intervention targeting health conditions in the county.
“I will be doing the public health work that I most love, and I could not have wished for a better job opportunity coming out of college,” says Lindsey.
Future chapters for the recent graduate include getting a master’s in health care administration and eventually a doctoral degree so that she can one day lead a hospital as CEO. She would also like to work with community officials to tackle health disparities and health service inadequacies in underserved areas.
“Do not fear the unknown,” she advises current and future public health majors. “When people think of a healthcare professional, they immediately think of a doctor or a nurse. We cannot forget about the epidemiologists, health economists, health care administrators, and other professionals who make the work that we do possible. Utilize your professors and advisors to help you find your way. Leverage your strengths, embrace your weaknesses and find your niche.”