as HIV tester and DC Real Talk workshop facilitator. Working in this capacity, I gain a broader perspective on the importance of education, testing and treatment in the fight against STIs and HIV/AIDS. Most importantly, I learned the importance of meticulous data collection and analysis to provide evidence of the burden of a disease within certain communities. It is in this data collection and analysis that I believe I can contribute to the field of public health. Finally, this current experience demonstrates to me the need for epidemiological work. Areas of Washington, DC that have the fewest health resources tend to have the highest concentrations of HIV. I know which areas are under-resourced since I live in Southeast DC. Yet, in order to express this disparity, quantitative data is a necessity. I have found that when I express the need for oral swab testing for STDs in young people, it is by displaying bar graphs that add substance to my argument. Therefore, committed to helping individuals receive resources, I understand that data is imperative to mobilize sufficient data.