Students in the CTE at WEMOCO Phlebotomy and Laboratory Science program had a Zoom session with Leonard Peruski, the acting chief of Global Epidemiology, Laboratory & Surveillance Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He described the work of the CDC as focused on “anything that causes disease or makes people’s lives worse.” For his work, Peruski has been to 60 countries and spent 17 years living in other nations. He’s worked on efforts surrounding Zika virus, Anthrax and Ebola. “We go into countries and teach people how to develop public health systems,” he explained to the students. 

 

Peruski focused heavily on the WEMOCO students and their future plans. He said it is important to know what your passion is. He came from a family that did not have a science focus, but he followed his passion and his work has been rewarding. He wanted to hear the future plans of each student. He stressed the massive shortage of laboratory workers, and also the importance of transferable skills. 

 

After being thanked for his time and presentation, he wrote back that the WEMOCO students “give him hope for the future.”