The Chez Veterans Center regularly hosts interns from different programs across the college. During the Fall, we hosted Cristian Pulgarin for his placement as he worked to support our mission. We asked Cristian to share about himself, his experience as an intern at the CVC, and his professional goals.

Cristian writes:

My name is Cristian Pulgarin, and I am a second-year graduate student pursuing my Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Before entering graduate studies, I earned a bachelor’s degree in public health, and I am proud to serve as a 92 Yankee (Unit Supply Specialist) in the Illinois National Guard. A fun fact about me is that I have a younger sibling who also serves as a 92 Yankee in the Guard who is studying at UIC.

During my journey in graduate school, the Chez Veterans Center played a crucial role in supporting my goals. The Center has helped me in my first leg of interning at the graduate level to apply public health theory into practice this past fall semester (2023). I was able to work with the Center’s amazing staff to help address the under served needs of military-connected students at UIUC in an applied practice experience project for my graduate program. My project involved analyzing survey data collected by the Center, creating a comprehensive needs assessment report, and developing tailored brochures to bridge the information gap among military-connected students on the multitude of services the Center offers and military benefits. Work that couldn’t have been done without the help and support of the Center’s very own Ingrid Wheeler and Michael Lotspeich-Yadao.

As for my future goals, I am about to complete my Master of Public Health program this spring (2024) and looking to pursue a second master’s program at UIUC. I am looking into enrolling in the Master of Social Work program this summer, focusing on mental health, and joining UIUC’s ROTC program to become a commissioned officer in the Army National Guard. My goal is to use my training in the two fields of study to help both civilians and service members and make a positive impact on the well-being of individuals in need.