My goal is to become an epidemiologist, working initially for a hospital, and eventually for a state government. Public Health is an important concern for communities around the world, and needs many more well-trained, qualified experts who truly understand the health challenges society faces today. I am eager to take on the responsibilities for new interventions focusing on improving general wellbeing. I was attracted to the fields of healthcare and politics at an early age; perhaps because most of my adult relatives were lawyers or medical doctors. My interest in political science intensified after taking Introduction to Law at Green River Community College. I was fascinated by how public institutions responded to challenging social issues. What has become a passion for epidemiological studies first manifested when I volunteered with The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHNES). I was able to observe how research is done by tracking, over time, the health and nutritional status of adults in the U.S. The information gathered would be used to identify problem areas and ultimately shape public policy. I became acutely aware of the importance of adequate nutrition, a clean environment and safe drinking water to sustaining a healthy population. For eight years I worked as a freelance trilingual interpreter, certified by The Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters, which recognizes medical interpreters at an international level. My professional experience as an interpreter gave me the opportunity to work in quite an array of medical settings. More recently, I have worked as a United Nations interpreter for a Brazilian delegation. In this capacity, I provided language interpretation in meetings between the delegation and the U.S. International Rescue Committee, where health and economic concerns at the Brazilian-Venezuelan border were discussed. During these years, the satisfaction of serving my community provided me with even greater motivation to pursue a career in epidemiological research. In terms of doctoral research, I am especially interested in the area of maternal-child health, and the sub-category of preeclampsia-malnourishment and other pregnancy complications. This interest dovetails with my commitment working to abate malnourishment in children, linked to poverty. In my native country of Brazil, mothers and most especially infants are particularly susceptible to succumbing to pregnancy complications. With respect to newborns, premature induction of labor or cesarean is responsible for inferior nutritional intake and fetal development. Long term, I hope to influence public institutions to focus on not only healthier environments in which families can live and grow, but also on improving the education and health of mothers, so that they will be able to raise healthier children. Achieving the objective of long-term health goals for needy populations requires effective interventions, based on the combined observations and analyses of information-rich studies that are developed and implemented. This is where I want to focus my efforts as an epidemiological research specialist. I am looking forward to the opportunity to apply my education, training and dedication to designing and implementing health-related programs based on the knowledge acquired by epidemiological studies and field investigations.