What is your name, and what do you do?
My name is Dr. Jennifer Caudle and I am a board-certified family physician. In addition to practicing medicine, I have a particular interest in bullying and I present lectures about the health effects of bullying.

What is your educational and professional background?
I attended Princeton University where I majored in Anthropology and minored in Music. I developed an interest in medicine during my college years and eventually attended the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey- School of Osteopathic Medicine for medical school and residency. I became interested in bullying as a medical student. Every day, many children are affected by bullying and I have always been touched by the experiences that young people have. I wanted to make a difference so I began speaking in schools to raise awareness about this issue and educate young people about bullying. Now as a physician, I continue this work by speaking to other physicians, health-care professionals, teachers and parents about the health effects of bullying (www.jennifercaudle.com).

You have programs for students and parents addressing bullying. What are some of the things about bullying that most people don't know?
An unfortunate statistic is that approximately 160,000 kids skip school every day to avoid being bullied. Recent teen suicides and instances of school violence have taught us that bullying cannot be ignored. Both boys and girls bully, but the cliché, "boys will be boys..." is no longer an acceptable response to this issue. Bullying can be physical, emotional or verbal in nature and it can occur in person, or through electronic media (cyberbullying). Some children are bullies, some are victims, and some are both the bully and the victim (bully-victims).

Studies show that the effects of bullying are far-reaching. Some of the health effects that children can experience, for example, include anxiety, depression and behavioral problems. What I find interesting is that, according to research, all children involved in bullying can experience these consequences- not just the victims. Bullies and bully-victims can experience them as well. For me, this reinforces why addressing the issue of bullying is essential to helping all kids, as well as communities, stay healthy and safe.

What advice you would you share with young African Americans who would like to follow in your footsteps?
First and foremost, I believe in the importance of getting an education- this is essential. I also believe that with hard work, perseverance and integrity you can't go wrong, as these qualities are important for work and life. With regards to bullying, I encourage all young people to become educated about this issue and become anti-bullying advocates. Get involved with your schools and communities to help reduce bullying throughout the country.

In addition to being a medical doctor, you were also Miss Iowa in 1999 and are an accomplished cellist. How have you managed to be successful at so many different things?
My life has taken many turns throughout the years. As a child growing up in Iowa, I began playing the cello and fell in love with it. At 16 years old I left home to attend Walnut Hill School for the Arts (Natick, MA) in order to pursue my dream of becoming a professional cellist. Although I ultimately chose medicine, playing cello is still important to me and I perform with orchestras and ensembles whenever I can.

Becoming Miss Iowa 1999 was also an interesting turn in my life. As a sophomore in college, I learned about the Miss America Organization. Specifically, I learned that it is the world's largest scholarship organization for young women (this was really important to me). So, I decided to compete and I won the title of Miss Iowa. I then went on to compete in the 1999 Miss America pageant- what an amazing experience this was! I believe it is important to work hard and stay focused. These rules have been very helpful to me over the years. But I also believe in exploring the possibilities of life and living life to the fullest, because you never know what your next adventure will be.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with our AOL Black Voices audience?
Anything is possible; dream big!

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the bookBlack American Money To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. To suggest a subject for a Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight, please click here. To follow Dr. Boyce on Facebook, please click here.