Audrey DuBois
My Internship
During my time as a public health outreach intern with the Spanish Red Cross in Toledo, I supported several community programs that assisted vulnerable populations. I taught Spanish classes to refugees to help them build language skills necessary for daily life and employment, while also assisting in youth after-school programs that provided academic support and a safe environment for children in the community. In addition, I helped develop and facilitate health education workshops. This experience strengthened my cross-cultural communication skills and deepened my understanding of community-based public health work in an international context.
This presentation offers a comprehensive reflection on my internship experience abroad, delivered to school staff at the Ortega-Marañón Foundation in Toledo, Spain. It brings together an overview of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Spanish context with insights gained from developing and leading health education workshops for older adults. A central focus of the presentation is the shift in my understanding of health toward a more holistic approach, one that integrates social, cultural, and behavioral factors alongside clinical perspectives. Through my work creating and facilitating health education workshops for older adults, I gained valuable knowledge about the importance of patient-centered care and community-based interventions in improving health outcomes.
This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Spain, combining a multitude of studies with a practical reflection based on my experience designing and implementing health education workshops for the elderly population in Toledo, Spain. Throughout the study, it examines the main risk factors, the prevalence of the disease, and the current challenges facing the healthcare system, while also highlighting community-based intervention strategies focused on prevention and self-care. As a capstone essay, this project aims not only to provide a well-founded academic perspective but also to emphasize the importance of tailored educational approaches that promote a better quality of life for older adults living with type 2 diabetes
