For as long as she can remember, Lesley Rennis has always known she would pursue a career in the health field. I originally planned to become a doctor, but decided early on that I wanted to do more than treat people and send them off, she says. I wanted to teach them how to take care of their own health. So Rennis abandoned her medical school plans and entered the health education field. She recently joined the BMCC faculty as an associate professor of health education. Beyond vitamins Rennis teaches Health Education 100, a survey course that covers every health topic you can imagine, she says. One of the ways I try to make the course relevant for my students is by talking to them about issues that they may not realize are health-related—not just vitamins and nutrients, but drug education, sexuality, weight management, exercise, and relationships. These issues are explored from both a societal and individual perspective. For example, we look at how the US compares with other countries in its approach to public health, but I also challenge my students to examine their own behavior and consider ways they can better manage their own health, Rennis says. By the same token, a new course on human sexuality she is planning for next semester will approach its subject not just in terms of reproductive health and contraception, but also historically—how human sexuality has impacted the various aspects of our culture. Stress management figures importantly in the curriculum—and in a …