As a transgender man, I have struggled with depression and anxiety since I was a child, seeking treatment, medication, and even a stay in an in-patient facility to stabilize my mental health, but it was primarily through mindfulness and meditation practices I learned while living in Thailand that helped me reach a sense of everyday mental stability and resilience that gets me through some of the challenging parts of my life and job as a Social Worker. Practices such as yoga, meditation, and grounding exercises are much more of a routine and intentional way of life that has improved my mental health, relationships, and career path. Now, I bring my lived-experiences into my work by focusing on health, mental health, and human rights research, intervention, and education. I am a dual Master of Social Work and Master of Public Health student at the University of Denver and University of Colorado - Anschutz focusing on Leadership, Organization, and Policy Practice and Community/Behavioral Health with a global lens. Already putting my knowledge and experience to good use, I am also a social work intern and research assistant at the Butler Institute for Families where I do research on child welfare, tribal initiatives, and behavioral health. My desire to serve vulnerable and marginalized populations through Social Work and Public Health stems directly from my experiences as a trans man and passion for social justice, health and wellbeing, and community organizing. Growing up in and navigating an increasingly transphobic world as a young adult has affected my mental health, but it has also contributed to my empathy and understanding of the ways racism, sexism, and homo/transphobia undermine equity, human rights, and health outcomes. I know my battle for visibility and rights is intrinsically linked to the battle for the rights of others, so I have a deep-seeded passion to combat systems of inequality and address the needs of marginalized populations in sustainable and empowering ways in order to improve their overall health and wellbeing. A key pillar of my work is on holistic wellbeing for both my clients, as well as to reduce burnout among social workers and activists. Currently, I am doing my foundation internship at Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains’ Refugee and Asylee Program within the Family Stabilization Services, providing crisis prevention & intervention to refugees and families with complex resettlement issues related to mental health. I am learning to assess clients and connect them with resources, and advocate with and on behalf of clients for educational, legal, and medical needs, addressing issues such as domestic violence, guardianship changes, and disability navigation. Additionally, I lead youth empowerment programs for newcomer students; creating curriculum and facilitating sessions on social and emotional learning for middle and high school students coming from almost ten countries. Developing refugee and asylee youth’s self-esteem and ability to cope with stressful situations is a protective factor for their mental health, so we speak with students about stress, mindfulness, and goal-setting, among other topics. Previously, I lived internationally for almost five years; first as an English Teacher in South Korea, then a Fulbright ETA in Northern Thailand, until I finally landed in Bangkok as a Health Program Officer for a regional LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. I conducted research, created resources, facilitated trainings, and advocated for the right to quality, inclusive healthcare. My main project was to create/pilot a community-based monitoring tool to gather data on the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of trans health services in seven countries, focusing specifically on HIV care, gender-affirming care, general healthcare, and mental health and harm reduction, though available services were few and far between in the seven countries considered. To respond to this, I developed a module to educate healthcare providers on the provision of inclusive, trans-competent care, gaining project management and partnership-building experience. Within advocacy, it is issues of access to healthcare, direct relief support, mental health and wellbeing, and linking bodily autonomy to human rights that I’d like to continue putting my energy and work towards. What inspires and drives me the most is the activists I’ve met who have made great strides in the face of stigma, discrimination, and violence. Too often the responses to addressing health disparities and other inequities are band-aid solutions, and don’t address the root causes and needs of the community. I wholeheartedly believe that those with marginalized identities and experiences, including those with mental health issues, should not simply be included, but centered, and leaders in the programs, research, healthcare, and laws affecting their lives, and I bring this understanding to my work. From policy to practice, social workers, public health professionals and mental health/medical providers, as well as policymakers and other stakeholders, need to both understand the needs and issues of the communities they serve, as well as appreciate that those in the community are experts on their lived experiences Long-term, I want to understand the needs of diverse communities and be able to design, implement, and evaluate programs to reduce disparities and promote human rights and health equity by ensuring that the programs and organizations designed to serve them are as effective and community-centered as possible. I see myself continuing to work with NGOs to address the health, mental health, and wellbeing of marginalized communities. I’m confident a MSW/MPH will give me the knowledge and skills for a career serving others in an effective, community-centered, and holistic way and will funnel my passions towards the missions of equity, justice, and the highest attainable health and wellbeing for all.

As a transgender man and LGBTQ+ activist, I have both personal and professional experience dealing with and advocating for my own and other’s mental health and wellbeing. I have always struggled with depression and anxiety, especially during high school before I came out as trans. Though my therapist and in-patient facility tried to help me, they truly did not understand or accept what I was going through, being in conservative Kansas prior to same-sex marriage. Coming out allowed me to begin living more comfortably and confidently, and over time I’ve learned how to maintain my mental health, primarily through mindfulness and meditation practices I learned while living and working in Thailand. These experiences have directly influenced my desire to pursue a dual Master’s of Social Work and Public Health. Living abroad as a young person immediately after graduating college pushed my coping skills to the limit as I navigated a completely different culture, and life, often alone. At points, I struggled, and turned to bullet journaling as a way to track my mental health and the habits I could use as self-care. The longer I lived in Thailand, the more I learned about Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. Practices such as yoga, body scans, breathing, and grounding are much more of an intentional routine that I no longer rely on bullet-journaling to remind me. Now, I bring my lived experience into my work by focusing on health, including mental health research and education. I’m starting my Master of Social Work at the University of Denver, and next year, I’ll begin my Master of Public Health focusing on Global Community/Behavioral Health at University of Colorado Denver - Anschutz. My desire to serve vulnerable and marginalized populations stems directly from my experiences as a trans man and passion for social justice, health and wellbeing, and community organizing. Navigating an increasingly transphobic world as a young adult has contributed to empathy and understanding of the ways racism, sexism, and homo/transphobia undermine equity, human rights, and health outcomes. I know my battle for visibility and rights is intrinsically linked to the battle for the rights of others, so I have a deep-seeded passion to combat systems of inequality and address the needs of marginalized populations in sustainable and empowering ways in order to improve their overall health and wellbeing Currently, I’m interning at Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains’ Refugee and Asylee Program within their Family Stabilization Services department. We provide crisis prevention & intervention, client stabilization & support, and case management to refugees and families with complex resettlement issues related to their mental health. I’m learning to assess clients, connect them with resources, and advocate with and on behalf of clients for educational, legal, and medical issues. Additionally, I lead youth empowerment programs for newcomer students; creating curriculum and facilitating sessions for middle/high schoolers on social and emotional learning. I am also working at the Butler Institute for Families as a research assistant for social and behavioral research. I want to understand the needs of diverse communities and be able to design, implement, and evaluate programs to reduce disparities and promote human rights and health equity by ensuring that the programs and organizations designed to serve them are as effective and community-centered as possible. I see myself continuing to work with NGOs to address the health of marginalized communities. I’m confident an MSW/MPH will give me the knowledge and skills for a career serving others in an effective, community-centered, and culturally relevant way and will funnel my passions toward the missions of equity, justice, and the highest attainable health and wellbeing for all.

As cheesy, or cliche as it may be, my genuine goal in pursuing a dual Master of Social Work and Public Health student, is to better my skills and knowledge in order to improve the lives of vulnerable people both at home and abroad. I have almost a decade of experience fighting for the rights of marginalized communities, focusing primarily on health, wellbeing, and human rights research and education. A University of Missouri graduate and Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA), I lived internationally for over five years, and only recently returned home to further my education. Now I’m starting my Master of Social Work, concentrating on Leadership, Organization, and Policy Practice at the University of Denver. Next year, I’ll begin my Master of Public Health focusing on Global Community/Behavioral Health at University of Colorado Denver - Anschutz. My experience volunteering throughout my life, from childhood, throughout my undergrad education and into my first jobs, has directly impacted my values, my approach to work, and my career path. Grounded in social justice and human rights values, I am passionate about creating effective, multi-dimensional solutions to issues in community-centered, holistic ways. Growing up, I volunteered at food banks, women’s shelters, and after-school programs in Kansas City and all the way to Haiti. During undergrad, I engaged in the Office of Service-Learning, joining local internships at Refugee & Immigration Services, and global service trips to South Africa and Thailand. My favorite part was working as a peer advisor to connect students to service opportunities in the community to tie into their coursework. After graduating undergrad, I taught English as a Foreign Language in South Korea, then Thailand through the Fulbright program, and after finishing my grant, ended up staying in Thailand to join a regional LGBTQ+ advocacy organization where I worked on health education, research, and advocacy for almost four years. Building off my extensive experience and passion for the communities I have volunteered with and for, I have decided to finally return home to pursue my MSW/MPH. As part of my MSW program, I am doing an internship at Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains’ Refugee and Asylee Program within their Family Stabilization Services department. We provide crisis prevention & intervention, client stabilization & support, and case management to refugees and families with complex resettlement issues primarily related to mental health, such as domestic violence reports, guardianship changes, and disability navigation. I am learning to assess clients, provide education, resource connection, and advocate with and on behalf of clients for educational, legal, and medical issues. Additionally, I will lead youth empowerment programs for newcomer students at local schools; creating curriculum and facilitating sessions for middle and high schoolers related to social and emotional learning, building off my 1.5 years teaching abroad. Long-term, I plan to continue working with NGOs to address the health of diverse and historically marginalized and oppressed communities by designing, implementing, and evaluating programs to ensure that the work we are doing to reduce disparities and promote human rights and health equity is effective. I’m confident a MSW/MPH will give me the knowledge and skills for a career serving others in an effective, community-centered, and culturally-relevant way and will funnel my passions toward the missions of equity, justice, and the highest attainable health and wellbeing for all. Eventually, I hope to return to a University in a Service-Learning or Social Work program in order to engage students to make a difference in their communities, and to help them navigate and find a place within service fields.

As a transgender man working as the Senior Program Officer of the Asia Pacific Transgender Network (APTN) based in Bangkok, Thailand, I have both personal and professional experience advocating for trans people’s health and human rights. Transgender people experience significant health disparities due to the prevalent stigma and discrimination within healthcare systems, and the lack of trans-competency among most providers. Indeed, my first experiences of discrimination as a young person were in health facilities where I was repeatedly denied healthcare and had to learn quickly how to advocate for my needs within a cisnormative healthcare system that didn’t recognize me. Sadly, these experiences haven’t improved since the early years of my transition; everyday anti-lgbt and specifically anti-transgender rhetoric and legislation is hurled around media and courtrooms across the US, a majority of it attempting to ban gender-affirming care for trans individuals. I whole-heartedly believe that those with marginalized identities should not simply be included, but centered, and leaders in the programs, research, healthcare, and laws affecting their lives, and I bring this understanding to my work. I now lead APTN’s health programs including research, advocacy, education, and capacity-building activities related to the health and well-being of trans people. My main project is a USAID-PEPFAR grant to create and pilot a community-based monitoring tool to gather data on the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of trans health services in seven countries. We are also developing a free, online trans health and rights module to educate healthcare providers on trans-competent care. What inspires and drives me the most is the activists I’ve met who have made great strides in the face of stigma, discrimination, and violence. An inherent part of my work is capacity building, so my primary goal is to provide platforms, tools, and resources to develop their skills. With over three years of experience with APTN, I’ve learned about public health and human rights issues in practice, such as HIV advocacy, COVID-19 relief, and legal gender recognition, and I’ve been exposed to advocacy on these issues within human rights mechanisms. Through a dual Master’s of Social Work and Master’s of Public Health, I hope to understand the needs of diverse communities and be able to design, implement, and evaluate programs to reduce inequalities and promote human rights and health equity. I want to gain a deep understanding of the social determinants of health, and tangible skills in research methods, monitoring and evaluation, and grant writing to improve the quality of my work. After grad school, I plan to continue working for NGOs in programs, research, and advocacy, building off my experiences working with trans communities to serve other populations I may not share identities with, either locally or globally. Though I want to expand beyond just LGBTQ+ advocacy, I’ll always have a special drive to include SOGIESC issues in my work. Ultimately, my reason for going back to school is to get tangible skills in research, M&E, and grant writing to bring them back to the communities that I serve, Given the increased anti-lgbt rhetoric and laws, these issues are going to become more important for public health professionals to address, and I intend to be a part of it.