RE Log Spring 2022

12 Ransom Everglades LOG SPRING 2022 Transforming Health Education In her final years at the University of Miami School of Law, around the time she was concluding she did not want to be a lawyer, Risa Berrin ’98 grew increasingly interested in adolescent health education. Working with incarcerated teens through a campus program, she encountered many young women who had made poor personal health decisions because they lacked knowledge or health resources. Berrin saw a huge void in the traditional high school health curriculum: She had attended Ransom Everglades from seventh to ninth grades and Miami Palmetto Senior High from 10th through 12th grades, and recalled mostly uninspiring health classes during high school. And she watched with concern as the State of Florida decided to eliminate the health class graduation requirement as she was exiting law school. “Having attended both private and public schools, I knew what the health education landscape looked like,” Berrin said. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t seeing anything innovative. It was all the same: adults leading with outdated textbooks, cheesy videos and scare tactics. “Not only was Florida not improving health education, they were getting rid of it,” she added. “Instead of fixing the problem, people just gave up. I didn’t feel that was acceptable.” Berrin had a deep, personal interest in student health, having managed the challenges of autoimmune disease Risa Berrin ’98 equips students to teach health in schools Photos by Suzanne Kores