Monthly AHEC Scholar Profile - January 2025

My name is Brysen.  I grew up in Idaho, and I graduated with my first bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2017. After I graduated, I packed everything up, joined Peace Corps, and moved all the way across the world to Madagascar. With Peace Corps, I was a Community Health Advisor working in a remote/rural community. My responsibilities were to help promote healthy living and teach the following topics to local women, men and families: vaccination, hygiene, sanitation, nutrition, pregnancy risks, plague prevention, malaria, diarrhea, measles, intestinal worms and other common infectious diseases, and family planning. I loved what I was doing so in 2020, when my service ended, I came back to the United States and joined a nursing program in South Dakota. My passion lies in rural healthcare. I am grateful that I came across the AHEC Scholars program as it gives me the opportunity to learn and grow in the topics of rural health, as well as giving me real firsthand experience in rural and underserved communities. I love being outdoors, going camping, hiking, being out on the lake or ocean. I love traveling and visiting countries and most enjoy experiencing new cultures.