Week 1 Sabrina Nogula

My first week with the Zoonosis Team at Jefferson County Public Health was a great introduction to both the people and the work ahead this summer. I started with orientation, meeting staff, and learning more about the structure of the department and the intern roles. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and made the transition feel smooth.

I also had the chance to sit in on a meeting with the entire Environmental Health department. It was really interesting to see how different programs come together, each person brought something unique to the table, and it gave me a better understanding of how broad and interdisciplinary this work is.

The Zoonosis team hosted a lunch where we went over trapping locations and field guides, and later in the day we jumped into mosquito ID training. We learned to identify key species including Culex tarsalis, Culex pipiens, Psorophora, Anopheles, and Aedes, and even got to look at a few ticks!

We also had conversations about our interests and goals for the summer, which was a great chance to reflect on what we hope to gain from the experience. The team was genuinely interested in learning more about each of us and finding ways to support our growth. It’s clear they want interns to get the most out of their time here, and that support has already made a big difference.

Looking forward to what’s ahead!