Hi there! My name is Chris Vasquez and I am an intern for the Oregon State Extension Service in my home county, Deschutes County, this summer. This fall, I will enter my third year as an undergraduate at Oregon State University as a bio-health sciences major with a pre-pharmacy focus and a minor in public health. I am the current Pre-Pharmacy Society Club president and intend to apply to OSU’s Pharm.D. program after receiving my baccalaureate. I did not have any experience with OSU Extension Service before this internship, so I have been extremely excited and fortunate to work with both the SNAP-Ed and Horticulture programs in my home community. I decided to do an internship with OSU Extension because I am fascinated with understanding the implications of directly helping communities and hope to learn how to use this experience to more properly understand my patients in the future.

Thus far, I have worked with a plethora of programs and projects offered through the Extension Service. I have been most excited and interested in our involvement with the Migrant Education Summer Program for children of all ages in Redmond.

In partnership with our Food Hero program, we have been able to educate the youth on means of implementing healthy recipes into their diets in a fun and engaging way. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, we brainstorm activities for kids to learn about the food groups they are eating and offer tips on ways they can prepare these items at home. We also offer cooking activities during the classes and provide the family with take-home recipes. To help engage the children in the lessons, we also incorporate the Be Physically Active 2Day (BEPA 2.0) program to encourage them to be active. This allows the students to integrate fun activities into their daily schedules, whether it be at recess or at home, to reach physical education goals. For instance, they can engage in racing to put bean bags into corners of the room or acting out the letters of words with physical activity, as seen with the word “turtle” in the photo.

Growing up in the Redmond School District, I was aware of the Migrant Education Summer Program but was unaware of its implications and linguistics. Having the opportunity to be more involved with the youth of the community has opened my eyes to possible professional endeavors (such as pediatrics). Considering my subsequent involvement with teaching the Walk With Ease program at the Redmond Senior Center and with retired Master Gardeners through the horticulture program, it is incredible to observe the opposite end of the community spectrum. I am more encouraged than ever to work on one of my projects dedicated to Food Hero informational videos that are accessible to all ages and promote the overall health of our communities.