How Student Groups Are Thriving During the Pandemic

For Columbia Mailman students, COVID-19 has changed everything and changed nothing. Just as public health learning continues online, so too does student life. Many student groups are just as active as ever, offering their members programming that provides a forum to get together around a shared interest and providing support to weather the challenges of the pandemic.

Hundreds of master’s students are members of one or more of 25 active student groups, where they connect with their peers, expand their knowledge, prepare for the workforce, and take a break from their academic commitments. After a slowdown in the spring, these campus organizations returned this fall with a full slate of events, including many that fostered discussions on key issues in public health.

Students for Environmental Action screened “The Great Divide,” a documentary about two California farming communities struggling for clean, affordable drinking water. Advocates for Asian American Health discussions of a range of topics, including the effect of COVID-19 on Asian-Americans. Women 4 Women and Students for a National Health Plan co-hosted a post-election panel on the women’s health policy agenda. Over the summer, the Black & Latinx Student Caucus helped galvanize FORWARD—the School’s initiative to become an anti-racist institution. Other student-led events have included a book club and a trivia night. In addition, the Office of Student Affairs organizes its own events, such as Wellness Week in October. Anyone can see a list of all student group events online. 

After the spring when they were forced to cancel their programming, the Columbia Mailman Consulting Club regrouped this fall with regular events, many of which were aimed at professional development. The group hosted representatives from leading health consulting companies and, separately, organized opportunities for members to practice case studies—a key skill valued by prospective employers. Women 4 Women hosted a Women in the Workplace Workshop featuring leadership experts with Nayla Bahri and Sarah Scales. The Black & Latinx Student Caucus hosted an event with Career Services on how to market yourself on LinkedIn with breakout rooms where members offered each other constructive criticism.

Most of all, student groups gave their members support in stressful times. The Black & Latinx Student Caucus held an event titled “Protecting Your Energy,” featuring four healthcare professionals of color who discussed ways to identify stress and use their cultural capital to practice resilience. “The professionals led us through exercise for destressing and talked about their experiences being people of color in the workforce, and how they cope with their mental health,” says Black & Latinx Student Caucus Co-President Julian Ponce, an MPH student in Population and Family Health. Women 4 Women provided mental health resources, feminist reading lists, and virtual events with opportunities for participants to engage with peers and support one another. “The past several months have been full of isolation and stress for many of our members and we are using our platform to provide support,” says Emma Kaishian, president of Women 4 Women and an MPH student in Health Policy and Management.

Not surprisingly, students have also found ways to connect beyond student groups—spontaneous Zoom meetings, group texts, and social media. Some students in New York City met in person to grab coffee, while taking care to observe social distancing guidelines. “I met with an alum who was my mentor, and it was cool to connect with her since we hadn’t touched base since everything kind of fell apart,” says Sophia Skaaden, president of Columbia Mailman Consulting Club and an MHA student in Health Policy and Management.

Passing the Baton

The fall marks the end of the one-year terms of current student group leaders, who are now in the process of recruiting e-board leadership for 2021. Students interested in an officer position should reach out anytime between now and the end of the semester to the leadership of the groups they are interested to join.

As they get ready to pass the baton, student group leaders reflect on the past year. Sophia Skaaden says her experience “has been really wonderful to meet new students and support them in a way I wasn’t expecting.” Julian Ponce says he was inspired by the group’s membership and how they were “able to galvanize into action in the midst of this really difficult time for the Black and Latinx community at large.” Emma Kaishian adds, “I am in constant awe and appreciation of my fellow e-board members. They have taught me so much and have been a much-needed bright light over the past months.”