Guest Speakers Speak About Health and Wellness Careers

By Mallika Seshadri, Assistant Opinions Editor

Students gathered today in the media center to listen to a panel of three guest speakers talking about careers in health and wellness fields.

The three speakers included graduate student of public health Samantha Sonnich, director of behavioral health services for San Diego LGBT Center Heather Marino-Kibbee, and Jay Wick, a practicing therapist.

“I thought it was really interesting to hear the different perspectives because each person was [in] a different field [within] mental health,” said junior Anna Lonsway.

To begin the event, the speakers introduced themselves, explaining what they do and what led them to pursue it. Then, students had the opportunity to ask the panel questions.

Freshman Marley Jahoudi said, “I found that being a therapist can be really rewarding work, and it’s actually [very] different than I thought it would be.”

“I was interested in going into the medical field…and I didn’t know as much about mental health,” said Lonsway. She appreciated the discussion and said she learned a lot from it.

Jahoudi also appreciated the discussion as she is interested in careers in health and wellness; she said she now feels more compelled to pursue such areas of study.