"The University of Minnesota has a unique relationship with the tribes and urban Native communities in the state and that is a relationship I wish to build upon, especially within the framework of community health promotion."

First, I’d like to know a little bit about you as a person. Where did you grow up? Where did you attend undergrad and what was your degree/area of study? 

[Jaidyn] I grew up in Redwood Falls and the Lower Sioux Indian Community in southwestern Minnesota. I graduated this past May from Harvard University with a degree in Cognitive Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology with a minor in Ethnicity, Migration, and Rights. 

What was that moment in your life when you decided you wanted to study public health? 

[Jaidyn] I was involved in public health work throughout high school and undergrad, like when I was conducting ecological research at Harvard Forest, but I didn’t realize what I was doing was considered public health work at the time. However, while I was doing an internship at the University of Utah during the summer before my junior year of undergrad, a speaker came to visit and talked to us about public health, so getting an MPH always remained in the back of my mind. Learning from the speaker made me realize that public health provides important pathways to community-based participatory research, which is what I am interested in, and I decided to apply for SPH’s Community Health Promotion program as a way to intertwine my passions in medicine, psychology, and public health.

What specific issue, problem, or area of research in public health do you care the most about and why? 

[Jaidyn] I am interested in studying and promoting the mental health of Indigenous youth. I grew up in the Lower Sioux Indian Community and experienced the effects of colonization that Native populations still face today, specifically regarding disparities in mental health and overall well-being. I hope to continue working towards incorporating culturally grounded adaptations into Western treatments, including land-based healing, to provide a holistic approach towards improving Indigenous youth mental health.

Are you currently involved in any public health research or professional work?

[Jaidyn] Yes! In August I started working with the BRAID Project, a program under the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at UMN, which is dedicated to culturally relevant health disparities research. We are focused on working with community partners and Indigenous youth and their families to implement intervention programs that promote healthy eating and physical activity through food sovereignty and traditional lacrosse, aiming to reduce the risk of chronic illness. 

Why did you choose to come to the U of M School of Public Health? 

[Jaidyn] I wanted to come back home to Minnesota, and that was a big deciding factor. The University of Minnesota has a unique relationship with the tribes and urban Native communities in the state and that is a relationship I wish to build upon, especially within the framework of community health promotion.

What do you like about being in Minnesota? 

[Jaidyn] I love experiencing the different seasons! When I originally moved to Boston for college, people warned me about the winters, but Minnesota prepared me well. I like the variation in weather, including snow, and how there are so many greenspaces and opportunities to connect with my homelands through nature.