London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Educational/professional background

I am from Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts and earned my BA in Global Studies from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During my undergraduate programme, I studied abroad twice, in Arusha, Tanzania and Granada, Spain, experiences which shaped my global perspective which guides my career. I spent six years working in global health, including roles in nonprofit development for a grassroots organization providing primary care in Haiti and as a research coordinator at Brigham and Women's Hospital supporting studies based in Rwanda and South Africa. I completed my MSc in Public Health by Distance Learning from LSHTM between 2022-2024 while working full-time, and was fortunate enough to participate in the blending learning programme, taking one module in London. I am currently working for a state department of public health. 

Research interests or career goals

My primary interests are global health and women's health, particularly the intersection of the two, as well as health policy and advocacy. I enjoy having variety in my career and prioritise the content of my work rather than following a linear career path. I am motivated to take on interesting and important projects that have real-world impact.

Why I chose LSHTM/my programme

Coming from the United States, I researched graduate-level public health programmes for several years, but was never able to find the right fit at a U.S.-based institution. Most of the top programmes, including online degrees, would not allow me to work full-time while completing my studies, and worse, the tuition and fees would have put me tens of thousands of dollars in student debt. But most importantly, I wanted a programme that would give me the global perspective that is valuable to me in an education. LSHTM has long been a leader in global health and getting to be a part of this global community and meet students from all corners of the world was a true privilege and joy.

Modules were relevant to my career interests and professors were engaging, which is especially important in an online learning environment. One of my fondest memories of the programme was the blended learning option, which allowed me to live and study in London for five weeks and meet some of my classmates in real life. Getting to physically be in a place where people come from all over the world to study public health was a very special experience for me.

Extra information/topics

I am happy to share my experience and advice on balancing work and studies, setting yourself up for success with online learning, and having a non-traditional career path led by your interests and values.