RCE Greater Atlanta SDG Futures Fellows Interview with Alexis McCowin

About SDG Futures Fellows
The SDG Futures Fellows Program through RCE Greater Atlanta is a professional development and leadership program with a strong focus on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aimed at educating college students on sustainability across 11 RCE Greater Atlanta affiliated higher education institutions. Applications for this program are open now until October 6, 2024, and Fellows will have the opportunity to intern with an RCE Greater Atlanta Community Partner on a project for the duration of the Fellowship. Fellows will learn about sustainability frameworks and challenges globally and around Atlanta, as well as how communities can organize to overcome these issues.
In an interview featuring Alexis McCowin, she gives an inside look at her experience as a 2023-2024 SDG Futures Fellow and how it impacted her career ambitions and led her to the Master of Public Health Program at Morehouse School of Medicine, where she currently studies.
About Alexis McCowin
Originally from Fort Wayne, IN, Alexis McCowin moved to Atlanta, GA to study Nutrition at Georgia State University in 2021. Alexis switched her major multiple times throughout her first two years of college before transferring to Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA, where she graduated in Spring 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, a Bachelor of Arts in Black Studies, and a Minor in Leadership Studies. During her time at KSU, Alexis worked at the Global Education Office as a Global Ambassador and was introduced to the RCE by her supervisor. At the RCE, Alexis served as a Student Representative for KSU and an SDG Futures Fellow in the 2023-24 cohort.
During her time as an SDG Futures Fellow, Alexis was connected with a variety of industry professionals and had the opportunity to meet other individuals passionate about sustainability and public health. Alexis and the rest of the SDG Futures Fellows engaged in a variety of professional development activities and events, including a public speaking seminar, teamwork cultivation training, and two presentations on their projects throughout the Fellowship at Equinox and at the SDG Future Fellows final presentation.
At the SDG Futures Fellows Kickoff, Alexis met Ms. Carrie Johnson-Salone, the Program Manager of Morehouse School of Medicine’s (MSM) Master of Public Health Program and Program Coordinator at Beacon of Hope Center of Excellence on Climate and Environmental Health. Alexis worked on a student team supervised by Ms. Johnson-Salone during her SDG Futures Fellowship for seven months, “researching windshield surveys and neighborhood organizations in the Atlanta area to potentially partner to fight towards the concerns of homelessness” with a focus on reevaluating what it means to be sustainable in pursuit of combating homelessness throughout the area. Alexis and her teammates had valuable discussions that helped foster a new understanding of sustainability and homelessness prevention, ultimately contributing to a more in-depth body of research and an action plan. Alexis’ time spent with Ms. Johnson-Salone and those she was introduced to inspired Alexis to pursue public health as a career, and she credits Ms. Johnson-Salone as “embodying the spirit of sustainability and empowerment, breaking through barriers with her unwavering determination.” Ms. Johnson-Salone inspired Alexis and her peers to embrace sustainable practices while championing inclusivity and collaboration, all while igniting enthusiasm that drives lasting change.
RCE Greater Atlanta and her participation in the SDG Futures Fellowship enabled Alexis to uncover a passion for public health and environmental justice that she now hopes to turn into a career. Encouraged by a network of individuals at RCE Greater Atlanta and MSM, Alexis is now a student in MSM’s Master of Public Health Program. She has engaged in meaningful conversations that highlight the importance of community in public health, strengthening her understanding of health equity and preparing her to be a competent public health leader. Still learning how she wants to funnel this motivation into a career, Alexis strives to address environmental justice and health disparities among underrepresented communities in her future pursuits. Alexis feels grateful for the guidance and inspiration from her time with the RCE and is confident that her newfound path in public health is the right choice for her. Citing her time at the RCE with helping her find her love for public health, Alexis says that the RCE “opened my eyes to the vital intersection of public health and environmental justice and transformed my passion into tangible next steps, bridging connections with fellow students and opportunities.