When I grow up… | Josie Faull, Public Health
In honor of NAU’s College of Health and Human Services’ third annual Health Careers Week, we invited our alumni to think back to their childhood to answer the question: What did you want to be when you grew up? Today, they serve patients, communities, and the broader health system in impactful ways. Discover how Josie Faull’s passion for helping others led her to becoming a Peace Corps volunteer working as a youth health educator in Albania.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? Why did that career interest you at the time?
I remember my mom reading me the list of majors to choose from at the end of my senior year of high school. When she read “public health” I thought– yeah, I love people. I immediately was fulfilled and content with my choice when I began at NAU. I appreciate how diverse and multifaceted public health is. I am always challenged in the realm of health and it is applicable for everything on earth.
What led you to your current career?
I am doing all of the things I love as a Peace Corps Volunteer. As a youth health educator in Albania, I am able to partake in cultural knowledge exchanges, learn a new language, work with children and adolescents, and advance public health for the globe. Ultimately, I am able to constantly learn, create genuine relationships, and promote peace and love.
What advice would you give your younger self about choosing a career?
I would tell my younger self that I am capable of having a career that both fulfills myself, and fulfills others. Furthermore, I’d say it’s possible to have a job that is fun and does not feel like I’m working, but rather simply enjoying the blessings of life.
What part of your job would younger you think is cool?
Little Josie would think it’s awesome how comfortable and happy I am working on the other side of the world; and she wouldn’t believe I’m teaching children in a different language!
Interested in exploring what you want to be when you grow up? Join us for our third annual What Should I Be When I Grow Up? event on March 25.