Why did you choose to major in Public Health-Global Health (PH-GH)?
I chose to major in Public Health-Global Health because I am passionate about furthering equity and justice in various health systems. I wanted a discipline that was flexible, rigorous and interdisciplinary, and the UW offered that!

What’s your favorite aspect about studying public health?
My favorite aspect about studying public health is its intersectionality and multi-faceted approach to (and influence on) promoting and protecting the health of populations. Not one study or field is left out of public health, which is what makes it so crucial to creating and sustaining health equity.

Why did you choose to come to the UW?
I chose to come to the UW because I wanted to find a holistic approach to education and any major that I sought out. I also came for the excellent academics, academic rigor and integrative approaches to social justice and public health. 

How do you want to change the world with your public health degree? 
I want to change the world by exploring, influencing, creating and fixing long-term care policies so that they support the needs of all stakeholders, primarily the often-invisible family caregivers. Public health is a discipline that enlists equity, collaborative problem-solving and research to tackle this complex issue. 

What experiences at the UW School of Public Health (SPH) have been most influential? 
Working on the PH-GH Steering Committee and getting to see all of the different classes that professors want to pilot and what they are researching has been very influential. Also, just being in a cohort in my major and sharing that academic experience with a designated group of peers is great. 

What interests do you have outside of (or related to) public health? Any extracurricular activities?  
My interests within public health are very vast, but include long-term care, reproductive justice, educational equity and socioemotional/behavioral growth and development. I currently serve as one of two student representatives on the UW SPH PH-GH Major Steering Committee, working with faculty to shape the major’s direction and curriculum. 

What is one piece of advice that you have for potential new public health students or one thing you wish you knew before beginning your public health studies? 
One thing I wish I knew before beginning my public health studies is that every field, activity, policy, program, etc. has health implications, and that structural oppression is often at the root of health inequities. Public health is in everything!