-         La Shaune J. 助理教授. 内布拉斯加州奥马哈市

我在读高中的时候就被确诊得了癌症，之后，在研究生院，我又被确诊得了另一种癌症。这些经历影响着我目前的外展工作和教学活动。

我是一名医学社会学家，在美国的中西部地区教授两门研究生课程— 公共卫生和医学人类学。因为我有身为患者的亲身经历，所以我致力于帮助广大家庭，教育他们了解自己的健康风险和进行适龄筛查。

3年以来，我担任过一个非洲裔美国人乳腺癌团体的联合主席，该团体负责对社区教育工作者进行师资培训；因为这项工作，我最近获得了一个大学的奖项。我在上大学的时候也曾带领一组学生，为穆斯林团体的成员设计母婴健康教育材料。

我的个人职业经历影响着我所教的课程— 我教学生策划健康传播活动，教他们如何与社区团体合作来进行研究和外展工作，以及文化是如何影响社区对疾病的看法（包括在中国讲授一本关于癌症的书！）。

我完全是在网上授课，所以我必须学会用新的方式与学生们交流。通过使用在线会议工具、视频文件和电话会议，我已经学会了如何与数百英里之外的学生进行合作。

作为一名教员，我发现我从来没有停止过学习，而且我所学内容的大部分都来自我的学生。我们的课程吸引了各种教育背景的学生— 有医生、护士和教师。因为他们有着独特的视角，所以我发现自己也能以新鲜的眼光去看待我们的学习材料，而且我还定期与学生在研究项目和社区教育活动上进行合作。

尽管我对健康的兴趣是出于自身的不幸经历，但我很高兴我能够把它转化为教育他人、帮助他人的机会。

What I Learned from Surviving Cancer

When I was in high school, I was diagnosed with cancer, and then, later, in graduate school, I was diagnosed with a second cancer.  These experiences influence my current outreach work and teaching.  

I am a medical sociologist who teaches in two graduate programs in the Midwest region of the United States—Public Health and Medical Anthropology.  Because of my own experience as a patient, I have committed myself to helping families educate themselves about their health risks and age-appropriate screenings.  

For three years, I was the co-chair of an African American breast cancer group that trained community educators to teach others; I was recently given a University award for this work.  In my time at my university, I have also led a group of students in designing educational materials about maternal and child health for members of the Muslim community.  

My professional personal experiences influence the course that I teach—I teach my students about designing health communication campaigns, about how to partner with community groups for research and outreach, and how culture influences community views about disease (including teaching a book about cancer in China!).  

I teach in entirely online programs, so I have learned to communicate with students in new ways.  By using online meeting tools, videos, and conference calls, I have learned how to work with students hundreds of miles away.  

As a faculty, I have found that I never stop learning, and much of my learning comes from the students.  Our programs attract students from diverse educational backgrounds-they are doctors, nurses, and teachers.  Because of their unique perspectives, I find myself seeing our material with fresh eyes, and I regularly partner with my students on research projects and community educational events.  

Although my interest in health was borne out of unfortunate experiences, I am glad to say that I was able to turn it into an opportunity to educate and empower others.

- La Shaune J. Assistant Professor. Omaha, Nebraska

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For more stories like this, visit: https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/education-culture/xin-jiao-liu-magazine/every-day-americans/