Alyssa Robinson sees the field of public health as the perfect way to merge her interests in both science and the humanities. An English major as an undergraduate, Alyssa also minored in biology and in her study abroad studied health care systems in northern Europe. Her path to Yale includes a 2-year stint as a Peace Corp volunteer in Morocco.
There, Alyssa worked in youth development and also collaborated with an HIV/AIDS outreach group. HIV is highly stigmatized in Morocco, says Alyssa who points out that you could lose your job if you were known to carry the virus. It is also illegal to be a homosexual or have sex out of wedlock. On the other hand, the government does provide treatment and services for people with HIV. Getting out and talking to people about HIV/AIDS is, therefore, a delicate matter, but an important one, adds Alyssa.