By Alex Perez | HealthCorps OKC Program Manager 2022
April 29, 2024
My name is Alex Perez, and I was the Regional Program Manager for HealthCorps in 2022 based in Oklahoma City. I hold a Bachelor’s and Master’s from the University of Oklahoma, and I currently work at INTEGRIS Health Edmond as the Director of the Wound Care Department.
Born and raised in Oklahoma, I know just how scarce the availability of resources for developing teens can be in our state. Oklahoma ranks low in health and education, and HealthCorps is a program that empowers both by bringing them together for our teens. I was incredibly happy to be representing my state and local area but to also be making a direct impact. The impact was seen at the end of the “season” when I would do a roundtable and ask each student what they took away from HealthCorps. Many students expressed it was life changing, helping them in various areas of their life. Learning this was my favorite moment, as you never really had a true idea of how some of these students were doing. To hear them really open up and let you know you really helped them was an amazing feeling. Education is a very strong tool.
HealthCorps does a great job helping you grow as a professional and using these skills as you get deep into the public health state of your area. The organization really helped me gain insight into the current education and health situation of our state. There is much work left to be done, and I was happy to be a part of the growth and change during my time. The culture and environment at HealthCorps is one that wants to see you succeed and develop both individually and professionally.