Letter of Intent for Master’s of Public Health
By Lindsy Hartsock
Throughout my nineteen years, and my sixteen years as a student, I have always been starved for information. I have often been considered annoying because of strivings for knowledge and relentless questions. My questions were often thought of as irrelevant, and often times obnoxious. I simply was interested in understanding the reasoning behind everything I approached in life. I strongly believe that my curiosity is what has brought me this far in life. I feel the Master’s of Public Health program is an opportunity for me to continue on with my inquiries. I would love to study and understand all of the aspects of public health, but mainly focusing on prevention methods and helping people develop healthy lifestyles.
I have been blessed with numerous opportunities to keep my life healthy. I was raised by loving parents who have helped me to understand the importance of developing a healthy balance in life, and supported me in all my different choices. I have been influenced by various activities such as singing and piano lessons, swimming lessons, seminary council, and most of all, athletics. I was encouraged at an early age to be active and fit. I have played basketball since the fourth grade, and began volleyball in seventh grade. As the time approached to choose which I would participate in at the collegiate level, I was torn. I toyed with the idea of playing both, but soon realized that in order for me to keep balance in my life, and excel enough to fulfill my goals to be an All-American, I knew that participating in both would be unrealistic. After weighing the pros and cons of each sport, I soon decided that a volleyball career is what I wanted to pursue.
The opportunity to play volleyball in such a unique environment at Brigham Young University has been a life changing experience. I have learned more than I ever could have imagined about myself not only as an athlete, but also as child of God through the examples of my team, coaches, and trainers. There have been hard times, but there have also been incredible experiences that I know I will never be able to forget. I would like to share a few of my favorite experiences.
Our team gathered together anxiously on the couch awaiting to see if we had earned an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament of 2003. We each stared at the screen with indescribable anticipation for the announcers to say BYU. The lists had been read and the time had come for the very last bracket, which would be held at the University of Hawaii, a dream for us all. They finally said our name and we all screamed with joy. We only had one day before our flight to make arrangements for classes and other prior engagements. Before we knew it, we were walking with our feet in the crystal clear water by the moonlight on Waikiki Beach. As I walked, I found myself fiddling with my wedding ring wishing that my husband could have been there that night. Suddenly, I felt it slip and heard a ku-plump in the water. My heart dropped as I bent down to feel the sand in my fingers, and not a sign of my ring. My teammates and I searched for hours it seemed, along with numerous prayers for peace and guidance. In tears I ran to a store across the street to call 911. My last hopes were crushed as the operator informed me that there were no patrol cars available with a metal detector. That night truly was a miracle, as a man with a metal detector came walking by. My teammates anxiously asked for his help and he was able to find my ring within seconds of his summoning. A prayer was truly answered, and I was reminded that there is always someone, somewhere, watching over me.
BYU volleyball has also given me is the opportunity to travel Europe, not only to improve as an athlete, but I was also able to experience a new culture. It opened up my eyes to the possibilities for health promotion there, especially in the tobacco and alcohol use area.
As my knowledge continues to grow mentally, emotionally, as well as spiritually, I have begun to realize what my passions in life have become. As a participant in the Community Health Education undergraduate program I have learned valuable information about what an influence we can have for good here on earth. I would love the opportunity to share the importance of living a healthy lifestyle with the people of the world. Although much of the world’s money is spent on important aspects of health such as medical research, I feel that the most important solution to world health problems is implementing changes in people to live a healthy lifestyle.
I have been given so many blessing in my life, especially here at BYU. I know that these events will help to shape me for other experiences, such as career opportunities and future education. I would love to have the opportunity to finish my five-year volleyball career with my B. S. in Community Health Education, along with M.P.H. I have worked extremely hard all my life to increase my knowledge and awareness of the world around me, and I would love nothing more than continuing that on through earning a Master’s of Public Health at Brigham Young University. In my undergraduate classes, I have loved the aspects of prevention and health behavior change that the faculty has focused on. It is these areas of study that I hope to continue learning about, and hope to do so here at Brigham Young University.