The SUNY Oswego Epsilon Upsilon Chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma (ESG), the national health education honorary society, recently received the 2024 Chapter Excellence Award.

Oswego students and faculty received the award at the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Conference in Long Beach, California, in April.

This national award is given to select chapters out of more than 104 active ESG chapters across the country that demonstrate outstanding achievements in teaching, research and service within public health. 

The award highlights chapters that embody ESG principles, such as environmental health, social responsibility and strong governance. 

“Our Epsilon Upsilon Chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma at SUNY Oswego received this award because of the meaningful, student-driven work our chapter accomplished throughout the 2023/2024 year,” said chapter advisor Jessica Harris of the Health Promotion and Wellness faculty. “Students in the chapter created real, engaging experiences that had a lasting impact on campus and in the community.”

The chapter’s executive board of students, Aiden Wilson, Gabriella Raspanti, Kristen Johnson, Gabriella Patterson and graduate student Michael-Daniel Vodzogbe accepted the award on behalf of the chapter.

“It’s a reflection of our collective hard work and the meaningful programs we've implemented, from different educational workshops to community outreach initiatives,” said Johnson, the SUNY Oswego chapter president.

“A major reason we did so well was the thought and intentionality put into each event, as well as the unwavering support of our faculty advisor, Dr. Harris,” Johnson added. “Her guidance and encouragement have been instrumental in our success, and we could not have received this award without her.”

Patterson credited both Johnson and Harris for leadership that resulted in the honor, noting, “Their guidance and the inclusive, mission-driven environment they created made it possible for everyone in the chapter to contribute meaningfully.”

‘Passion and dedication’

Raspanti described the honor as “incredibly rewarding” given the chapter’s efforts.

“It's a testament to all the hard work, passion and dedication that our E-board, as well as members, have contributed to our society throughout the year,” Raspanti noted. “I think we did so well because we truly worked as a team, from supporting one another, staying organized, and remaining committed to our goals.” 

“I felt incredibly proud of our chapter when we received national recognition, especially knowing there are over 100 ESG chapters across the country,” Patterson said. “To be selected for such an honor was humbling. But when I reflect on everything we’ve accomplished over the past year, I truly believe we earned it.” 

Vodzogbe believes the chapter earned the award due to the many efforts the team puts in.

“ESG creates a variety of programs/events so that our chapter can be involved on campus,” Vodzogbe said. “All of this goes to show how devoted we are and how hard work does pay off!”

“One of our standout events that ESG was a part of, along with the Health Promotion and Wellness Department, was the Health Promotion and Wellness Alumni Panel, where former students returned to share their career paths, offer networking advice and talk about how they’ve applied what they learned in our program,” Harris said. “It gave current students a valuable look into life after graduation.”

“We collaborated with other organizations to host a Health Career Mixer, volunteered at community events like Trunk or Treat, and provided QPR suicide prevention training for our members,” Patterson said. “Our ESG members have also completed and presented a paper on food insecurity among college students in Upstate New York. These efforts reflect a deep commitment to service and awareness.” 

The Health Careers Mixer – co-hosted with the Pre-Health Club, Health Promotion and Wellness Club and Career Services – allowed students to connect one-on-one with professionals from fields including mental health counseling, athletic administration, dietetics, physical therapy and others. 

“The room was packed, and we even heard from a student afterward who said the event helped them decide what they wanted to pursue for graduate school,” Harris noted. 

Harris noted other highlights included sponsoring the annual Hot Cocoa Bar fundraiser, collecting $300 while providing an enjoyable, low-stress space for students.

“The chapter also met multiple ESG standards, including leadership development, member engagement, use of program planning theory and evaluation of health activities,” Harris said. “This breadth of impact and excellence across education, service and research components contributed to the chapter’s recognition.”

Fruitful conference

Participants noted that receiving the award was one of many highlights from the conference, which also included a T-shirt exchange with other chapters from Florida, Michigan, Maryland, and other states to connect with peers across the nation and celebrate chapter pride. 

“I think the other highlights of the conference were the opportunity to meet other students who are working towards bettering community health, too,” Vodzogbe said. “It felt like I was meeting distant family in a way. It brings me joy that others my age are working hard and making efforts to leave a lasting impact on the world. I say this because the youth are the eventual future leaders of our world, so seeing them take part in positive initiatives gives me more than just hope; it gives me a vision.”

Raspanti said the opportunity to connect with chapters across the nation made it especially meaningful.

“Seeing how other organizations care about health education as much as ours, it was nice to meet other people who share the same interests and want the same things for society,” Raspanti said. “The T-shirt swap during the conference was also really cool. We all got to take home a different piece of memorabilia from a different part of the country, that will stay with us forever and will always remind us of this once in a lifetime experience.”  

Johnson also said networking with professionals, fellow students and faculty advisors represented a noteworthy highlight.

“They dedicated a whole floor of the conference to networking halls lined with booths showcasing research projects, internship opportunities and graduate programs, allowing us to engage in meaningful conversations and gain valuable insights into current trends and innovations in health education,” Johnson recalled.

“We also participated in a social event where we had the chance to interact more with other attendees and see their work firsthand during the research poster session,” Patterson said. “It reminded me of Quest, but on a more intimate scale, and it was inspiring to see how diverse and impactful the projects were across chapters.”

For the opportunity to attend the conference, Harris expressed thanks to Laura Spenceley, dean of the School of Education; Experiential Learning through the Feinberg Fund, with help from Mallory Bower and Tina Cooper; and the Health Promotion and Wellness Department and chair Minjung Seo.

“This trip was deeply impactful for many reasons,” Johnson said. “It helped us strengthen our networking skills, exposed us to real-world public health efforts and allowed us to connect with people who share our values and aspirations. It reminded us that we are part of a larger community of health educators and inspired us to continue striving for our goals no matter the difficulties we might face.”