The
COVID-19
global
pandemic
has
impacted
Baldwin
Wallace
University
students'
lives
in
many
ways,
but
it
also
has
created
opportunities
for
learning
experiences.
Libbey
Pelaia
'22,
a
graduate
student
in
BW's
Master
of
Public
Health
(MPH)
program,
identified
an
area
within
her
field
that
the
pandemic
has
impacted
and
wanted
to
spread
awareness
about
the
issue.
As
an
educator
with
MetroHealth
System's
Office
of
Opioid
Safety,
Pelaia
wanted
to
provide
people
with
information
about
the
ongoing
opioid
epidemic
crisis
and
current
initiatives
that
MetroHealth
has
in
place
to
combat
the
epidemic.
When
MetroHealth
initiated
a
podcast
project
on
the
topic,
Pelaia
was
provided
the
opportunity
to
work
closely
with
the
producers
at
Evergreen
Studios
to
curate
and
host
the
show.
When COVID-19 hit, the podcast series titled "OnePath: Safer Opioid Prescribing" opened with a discussion on the impact of the pandemic on individuals who grapple with substance abuse and mental health conditions.
For
Pelaia
and
the
graduate
public
health
program,
the
pandemic
has
served
as
a
present-day
learning
experience
and
an
inspiration
for
finding
new
ways
to
improve
the
overall
health
of
our
population.
"Beginning
a
graduate
program
in
the
middle
of
a
global
pandemic
was
arduous,
to
say
the
least.
However,
having
already
been
a
public
health
professional
for
years,
the
pandemic
inspired
me
to
finally
pursue
this
graduate
degree
that
I
had
been
hoping
to
attain,"
said
Pelaia.
"We
need
public
health
professionals
now
more
than
ever
in
order
to
enact
positive
change
for
our
communities."
