Marjorie Neeley
B.S. Language and International Health
Sample Coursework
This page provides a glimpse into the many assignments I have completed during my time at Clemson. These artifacts reflect my linguistic, cultural, and public health knowledge.
Culture/Literature Artifacts:
Explorando la Profundidad Artística de Rosalía a través de sus Letras, Música y Vídeos
This assignment is a written composition I completed for SPAN 3180: Spanish Through Culture that analyzes the music, lyrics, and visual storytelling of Rosalía. The purpose of the assignment was to explore how cultural works communicate meaning through language, sound, and imagery. In this paper, I examined “Malamente,” “Pienso en tu mira,” and “Aunque es de noche,” focusing on how symbolism, musical style, and visuals work together to express emotions such as fear, jealousy, vulnerability, and hope. This composition pushed me to look beyond surface interpretation and really consider how culture and emotion shape storytelling. Analyzing Rosalía’s blend of flamenco traditions with modern genres helped me understand how personal and cultural identity can be expressed in subtle, powerful ways. As someone preparing for a career in healthcare, this experience strengthened my ability to listen carefully, recognize emotional cues, and approach stories with empathy and cultural awareness. Overall, the assignment allowed me to feel more confident in my ability to study complex artistic pieces and understand the artist’s message and technique.
La Crisis de Salud en Venezuela: Efectos de la Escasez de Medicinas y Personal Médico
This is a research based analytical paper written for SPAN 3080: The Hispanic World: Latin America that examines the ongoing health crisis in Venezuela. The goal of the assignment was to analyze a major regional issue through Spanish-language academic writing while considering historical, political, and social factors. In this paper, I explored how economic collapse, political instability, and corruption contributed to severe shortages of medicines and medical personnel, with the greatest impact on vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant women, and rural communities. This assignment helped me understand how deeply health outcomes are tied to policy decisions and social systems. Writing about Venezuela pushed me to look beyond statistics and consider the lived experiences of people navigating a collapsed healthcare system. As someone preparing for a career in healthcare, this work reinforced the importance of health equity, advocacy, and cultural awareness. This composition demonstrates my growth in global health understanding, critical analysis, and compassionate communication.
Linguistic Artifacts
Descripción y Análisis del Sistema de Salud en Colombia por medio de una revisión de la literatura: Reformas, Descentralización y Desempeño
This paper is a Spanish-language academic research paper completed for SPAN 4180, focused on analyzing the structure, reforms, and performance of Colombia’s healthcare system. The goal of the assignment was to demonstrate advanced written proficiency in Spanish while engaging with complex topics such as health policy, decentralization, and equity through a literature review. The paper required synthesizing scholarly sources, interpreting quantitative health data, and explaining technical concepts using formal academic Spanish. This artifact is significant because it strengthened my ability to communicate complex ideas accurately and professionally in a second language. Writing this paper allowed me to expand my technical vocabulary, refine my grammar, and construct clear, well-organized arguments in Spanish. It also deepened my understanding of how cultural, political, and economic factors shape healthcare systems. As someone pursuing a career in healthcare, this experience increased my confidence in using Spanish in professional settings, such as explaining health systems, translating information, or communicating with Spanish-speaking patients and colleagues.
Análisis de los determinantes sociales que influyen en la inseguridad alimentaria en la comunidad Latina en los Estados Unidos: Una revisión de la literatura desde una perspectiva socioecológica
This is a Spanish literature review completed for SPAN 4190 that analyzes the social determinants of health driving food insecurity in Latino communities in the United States using a socioecological framework. The goal of the assignment was to demonstrate professional-level Spanish while organizing research across multiple levels (individual, family, community, and policy) and proposing evidence-based interventions. In the paper, I connected factors like income, education, family support, access to SNAP/WIC, language barriers, restrictive immigration policy, and structural racism to patterns of food insecurity and health outcomes. This assignment strengthened my ability to write clearly in Spanish about complex public health topics without oversimplifying them. I had to expand my technical vocabulary, improve my sentence structure, and synthesize research into a coherent argument. It also made me more confident discussing sensitive issues in a respectful, culturally aware way, which are skills I will use in healthcare when communicating with Spanish-speaking patients, explaining resources, and advocating for equitable access to care.
Public Health Artifacts:
Women’s Health Reproductive Health in Indigenous Communities Presentation
This artifact is a group presentation I completed for HLTH 3100: Women’s Health that examined women’s reproductive health in indigenous communities in Mexico. The purpose of this assignment was to analyze women’s health outcomes using a public health perspective while considering social, cultural and health system influences. In this presentation, we focused on topics such as maternal mortality, access to contraception, menstrual health, and the use of traditional medicine while highlighting how poverty, gender norms, and limited healthcare funding contribute to persistent health disparities. This project challenged me to look beyond statistics and understand how cultural beliefs and lived experiences shape health outcomes. Balancing quantitative and qualitative perspectives strengthened my research and critical thinking skills and pushed me to approach health issues more thoughtfully. This experience reinforced the importance of culturally responsive, evidence-based care and deepened my understanding of health equity and women’s health challenges.
Field Experience at Clemson Rural Health Reflection
This essay is a field experience reflection completed for HLTH 2980: Human Health and Disease based on my time observing and volunteering at Clemson Rural Health in Walhalla, SC. The purpose of this assignment was to connect course concepts to real-world healthcare settings and better understand how health systems serve underserved populations. Through this, I learned about barriers such as transportation, insurance status, and patient noncompliance, and how these directly affect health behaviors and access to care. Observing programs like VeggieRx and the Best Chance Network helped me see how community centered interventions can improve chronic disease management and preventative care. This experience pushed me to think critically aout social determinants of health and the role healthcare systems play in reducing inequities. It also strengthened my respect for culturally competent care, the importance of language access, and the impact of patient centered programs on improving community health outcomes.