Tell us about what excites you for the future.
I am delighted to announce that I have been accepted for my Master’s in Public Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. My ultimate goal is to make a positive impact on global health, and I am thrilled to have this opportunity to delve deeper into the field. I look forward to working alongside my peers and experts in the field as I embark on this journey at Yale University.
Who inspires you?
During my undergraduate career at UCI, I had the fortune to be inspired by many Public Health faculty like Dr. Oladele Ogunseitan and Dean Bernadette Boden-Albala. Dr. Dele Ogunseitan inspires me with his passionate advocacy for antibiotic stewardship, environmental sustainability, and background of rising up from hardship— his integrity, kindness, and love for others is unwavering. Dele is one of the most grounded, brilliant, and hardworking people whom I have had the honor of talking to and working with. Dean Bernadette Boden-Albala inspires me with her love, authenticity, and devotion to public health and her phenomenal leadership as a woman in public and global health. She led UCI Public Health through COVID-19 with resilience and compassion.
I am also inspired by many other renowned public health figures like the late Dr. Paul Farmer, Dr. William MacAskill, and more. Overall, these individuals have inspired me in different ways, showing me the power of love, sacrifice, and commitment to making the world a better place. I hope to follow in their footsteps and make a positive impact in my own way.
What is your favorite UCI memory?
I feel honored to have had some incredible research experiences, but one in particular stands out to me. One of my greatest experiences in research was conducting a study on antibiotic stewardship in 2019. It gave me the chance to survey over 600 students on the effectiveness of various teaching methods, and five professors kindly let me teach antibiotic stewardship in their classes. This ignited my passion for teaching, and it became clear to me that my calling was to become a professor.
Working with Dele on our paper, “A Case for Early Education Toward Sustainable Antibiotic Stewardship,” was a pure delight. He inspired me to improve my research and writing skills and made the editing process a fun and enjoyable experience. His high expectations for me motivated me to do my best, and our paper ultimately won the Award for Excellent Upper-Division Academic Writing in Science and Technology at the 28th Annual UCI Writing Awards in May 2021.
What is your message to current and/or prospective UCI public health students?
If you’re interested in pursuing research, there are a few tips that I would highly recommend.
- Be proactive and assertive in reaching out to professors. Engage with them in class, attend their office hours, and send them emails to share your passions and interests. Be open to assisting them with their research and developing your own skills.
- When considering research topics, choose something that you’re truly passionate about and would enjoy reading about in your spare time. Follow your interests and empathy to seek out opportunities to practice research, such as participating in Model United Nations. This can help you develop important skills like research, data analysis, and public speaking.
- Join research and honors organizations to surround yourself with like-minded individuals who can provide support and inspiration. Remember, the people you surround yourself with can have a big impact on your success and growth.
