What I’m Doing This Summer: Alma Frazier ’27

What are you doing this summer?

I’m interning at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. That’s where I’m from. I’m doing two jobs, actually. In one, I’m in the cannabis strategy unit. The CDC has a legislation tracker, and I track updated legislation across all 50 states to see what the states are doing with cannabis and psychedelics. What are they allowing? What are they not allowing? Just updating to make sure the CDC has the latest information.

My second job is for the science team. I’m a fact checker. Whenever any scientists release information on the CDC website, it’s my job and my mentor’s job to make sure any facts and figures are accurate and backed up by science.

If you could choose just one of those jobs, which would it be?

I enjoy doing both, but if I had to pick, it’d probably be legislation tracking. How is cannabis affecting the lives of the citizens in those states? Is it making anything better? Is it making anything worse? This is all about public health. Documenting policies across all the states can help states decide whether or not they want specific cannabis or psychedelic policies, and what those policies may look like. For example, should they include age limits for purchasing specific products?

Does the CDC propose policy?

Yes, sometimes. I know policy has a place in public health. During COVID, Dr. Fauci was trying to make sure everyone was mandated to get vaccines to avoid COVID and avoid dying from COVID, so that required a certain level of advocacy. He had to go in front of reporters and go in front of the president and lawmakers to make his claim. Scientists and researchers can say all they want, but without that government backing, it’s kind of a wash.

How did you find your internship?

One day in my senior year of high school, I was helping referee and score lacrosse games at my old elementary school, and I told one of the coaches that I was planning on going to college for public health. She was like, “Oh! I know someone who works in the science department at the CDC.” The coach put me in touch with her contact at the CDC, and she was like, “Oh! Would you like to intern at the CDC during the summer?” That was a dream come true.

What’s your major?

Public health, with minors in humanistic management and health studies.

Do you already have plans for after graduation?

I want to go to medical school, probably in my home state. I hope at Emory. Fingers crossed. But I think I’ll take a gap year just because there’s a prenatal clinic called the Homeless Prenatal Program in San Francisco that I want to work for. I want to work there so bad.

What’s your advice to other students?

Don’t be afraid to get rejected. Put yourself out there. If it’s something you’re really interested in, apply for it. If you get rejected, apply for something else similar. Just keep trying. I feel like a lot of people don’t apply for things. I’ve done it myself. I work at USF as a university ambassador, and this year we’re having two of our lead ambassadors graduate. But I just started working there in January, so I was like, Oh, I shouldn’t apply to be a lead ambassador; I don’t have enough experience. So I didn’t apply. But then my friend Anita actually did apply, and she also just started in January, same as me, and she got it. I was like, dang! I was doubting myself. I need to take my own advice.