A basket of BUSPH stickers that read “Public Health is” and one of the following words: community, equity, bold, and joy. Photo: Megan Jones
Students
Why Public Health? Why Now? Why SPH?
In honor of SPH’s 50th Anniversary, we asked five new students to share why they chose this field, at this time, here at Boston University School of Public Health.
I chose public health because I’ve always known my calling is to help people. Public health offers endless pathways to help communities regardless of one’s background.Incoming MPH student Finch Hartwick of Sayre, Pa.
While I had always been interested in pursuing a career in the health sector, I was particularly drawn to public health because of its ability to positively impact entire communities. Public health is so important for removing barriers that inhibit a community from accessing factual information.Incoming MPH student Olivia Arp of Chicago, Ill.
I have been passionate about public health ever since I was a teenager. I witnessed public health issues in Honduras and realized it was my calling to serve people who look like me.Incoming epidemiology PhD student Dani Rochez of Fort Myers, Fla.
By the time someone is sick enough to see a doctor, most of what made them sick has already happened. It happened in budget meetings, in supply chains, in rooms most patients never enter. Medicine treats one patient at a time, and it should. But someone has to work upstream, and that’s the work I want [to do].Incoming DrPH student Dipi Basnet, a research health science specialist with the VA Boston Healthcare System
To me, public health is the backbone of everything—it’s in every little thing we do, from the things we may not pay attention to, like sidewalks, to infectious disease prevention. I love how in public health the population is the patient.Incoming MPH student Saranya Sribalaharan of Nashua, N.H.
I chose to start now because we have so much information at our fingertips, but that includes a lot of misinformation and attacks on science. I want to help others understand what is going on, promote inclusive health initiatives, and give people hope when things seem scary.Finch Hartwick
I think that the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the disparities that exist with access to healthcare. It also demonstrated how heavily politicized public health is in the U.S. The increase in health disparities and misinformation makes promoting public health even more important.Olivia Arp
I’ve witnessed decisions that have affected the communities I’ve been trying to serve. I want to influence others who make these decisions, but for me to do so, I need a doctoral degree. Pursuing a public health degree now is the best time to ensure I am qualified to be in the room to make these decisions.Dani Rochez
The technology has arrived faster than our ability to use it wisely. GenAI, real-time surveillance, and health data at an unprecedented scale can tell us more than ever. I want to work in the gap between an algorithm flagging an infection and a patient receiving different care.Dipi Basnet
Public health now because why wait? Building the skills now allows them to grow and be a part of everything you do and how you carry yourself in the future.Saranya Sribalaharan
I chose BUSPH because of the many certificates available, including the one I chose in Sex, Sexuality, and Gender, which can be hard to find in other programs. I also love BUSPH’s mission to push students beyond the classroom into research and community work.Finch Hartwick
I chose BUSPH because of its location as a public health hub. I was attracted to this program because of the core curriculum, passionate faculty, and extremely high post-graduation employment rate. I am very excited to be beginning my public health journey at BUSPH!Olivia Arp
I am interested in maternal and child health, and BUSPH offers research opportunities such as the PRESTO study and the Black Women’s Health study that allow me to explore specific relationships. Also, the faculty and Boston are amazing!Dani Rochez
BU taught me to question the question before trying to answer it. Now I need to learn how to answer it in a room where the decision gets made.Dipi Basnet
BUSPH offers a program called CAPDIE, and that program encompasses all the skills I hope to gain to carry on into my career. BUSPH goes in-depth on the core skills public health needs and allows me to grow and explore the aspects I find most fascinating.Saranya Sribalaharan
Source: https://www.bu.edu/sph/news/articles/2026/why-public-health-why-now-why-sph