el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2014/eldonnews.org
el Don
GETTING
KNOW
TO
d
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Liz Monroy
[email protected]
NEWS EDITOR
Katie Porter
[email protected]
HEALTH EDITOR
Chelsea Ybanez
[email protected]
“I’m really just
here to help
students make
better, smarter
choices”
el Don /SANTA ANA COLLEGE • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2014/eldonnews.org
STYLE EDITOR
Joanna Meza
[email protected]
2
CHRISTINA
DUONG
Fresh out of grad school, the 25-year-old
health educator can relate to students
BY KATIE PORTER/ el Don
STAFF
DIGITAL EDITOR
Alessandra Gonzalez
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NEWS
SPORTS EDITOR
Jorge Campos
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FACULTY ADVISER
Professor C.W. Little Jr.
[email protected]
BUSINESS MANAGER
Allene Symons
[email protected]
In her free time, Christina
Duong browses Pinterest
and keeps up with the
Kardashians.
She also wakes up at 4 a.m.
every day to hit the gym
for spin and yoga. Health is
important to her. After all, it
is her job.
The recent graduate uses
her relatability as an advantage with the students she
helps as the health educator at Santa Ana College’s
Health and Wellness Center.
“I know exactly what
they’re going through,” the
25-year-old says.
Duong left med school at
UCI after two weeks because
competition between stu-
dents was cutthroat. She
couldn’t even trust her
lab partner.
“I was like ‘this is not for
me’. I’m a people person.
Working with people is
the core element of public
health,” Duong said.
Switching to a public
health policy major, Duong
then got her master’s
degree at CSU Long Beach.
She tries to be realistic,
saying she doesn’t tell
students not to have sex,
smoke or drink.
“My point of view is, no
one is a saint. I’m really just
here to help students make
better, smarter choices,”
Duong said.
For example, in her diet
and nutrition counseling,
she wouldn’t promote giving up soda.
“I’m like just drink diet
soda! I’m all about substitutions,” Duong said.
She tries to incorporate
that in her life as well. She
likes to do experimental
cooking, finding recipes
online and modifying them
to be healthier.
But she’s also human.
Cheat days include pizza,
cookies and ice cream.
Although she claims she can
finish a whole carton alone,
she tries not to because she
has to fit into a wedding
dress in March.
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ABOUT THE COVER
Student Raquel Valencia
practices in anticipation
for Thursday’s dance
department showcase.
The number, “Carbon and
Water,” was choreographed
by Allison Hart.
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