Patty Bessie

Attending:

Columbia University in the City of New York

Studying In:

New York, United States

Scholarship:

CET Academic Programs Access Partner Scholarship

Journal Entries

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More About This Scholar

Pronouns:

She/her

Expected Graduation:

2026

Major / Minor:

Political Science / Public Health

Program Provider:

CET Academic Programs

Identity:

Biracial/mixed race, Caucasian/White, First-Generation College Student, Hispanic/Latinx, Multiracial, First-generation low-income Latina student!

Future Career Goals:

My public service career goals center on improving health equity through a focus on public health policy, particularly in healthcare and environmental health. My passion for this work began during the COVID-19 pandemic when I saw firsthand how infection and death rates fell along lines of class and race. In my 16-year-old mind, I could not understand why a virus, which should affect everyone equally, disproportionately impacted certain groups. That experience made it clear to me that health outcomes are profoundly shaped by socioeconomic and environmental factors, and this realization fueled my commitment to public health policy. In my career, I want to address these systemic inequities by advocating for policies that provide vulnerable communities with greater access to healthcare and healthier environments. Through a degree in Political Science and a law degree, I hope to take on roles in government where I can directly contribute to effective public policy—perhaps one day as an elected official. I want to create change on a larger scale for communities like mine, where the health care system often fails to serve those who need it most.

Top 3 Goals for your time abroad:

1. Be conversational with the Italian language by the time I come back
2. Create lasting friendships with locals and my host family!
3. Learn about European history and politics as a whole

Posts

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