We reached out to Global Health Studies alums around the country and world and asked them to share messages with you, the GHS Class of 2020. Here’s what they had to say:
— Kathryn Jaruseski (WCAS ’13)
I am so proud to have been part of the first graduating class of Global Health Scholars. It was a formative in teaching me the importance of public health and led to my becoming a Peace Corps community health volunteer in rural Zambia. For the new graduates, I hope that you have had a similarly profound experience as Global Health Scholars. You graduates will be forever connected across the country as the first class to graduate from college virtually. This pandemic has revealed many lessons to us, most significantly, the need for leaders to shape robust public health systems worldwide. With the skills that you have developed during your undergraduate years, use this shared experience as a reminder and driving force to contribute to the changes that are needed to keep our global communities safe. Today, take the time to reflect upon your triumphs through tribulations in the past years, celebrate with your family and friends, soak in the joy of finally receiving your degree, and look forward to the exciting next step. Congratulations! — Diana Wu (WCAS ’06)
Hey Class of 2020! Congratulations! You have survived and thrived at Northwestern! Your Global Health Studies alumni and I are so excited for you in this next chapter in your story. I know I grew so much from my global health studies classes in Evanston and the Accelerated Program in Public Health at the Graduate School downtown. I encourage you to take some time now to reflect on your own personal growth. Think about yourself during Wildcat Welcome, and now as a graduating senior. I think it’s safe to say that you’ve come pretty far, right? For some, you’re ready to get out there and change the world. For others, graduating may mean stepping into the unknown, and I want to assure you that is ok! After I finished my MPH at NU in 2019, I took time for myself to work and experience new things, working as a restaurant server and medical assistant. While those may not have been “career-shaping moves,” from those experiences I have become more knowledgeable, patient, empathetic, and better prepared to pursue my passion in addressing health disparities. In whatever the future holds for you, whether you know what is coming or not, you are equipped with the skills to uplift your local and global communities, make meaningful relationships, and learn something new each day. Use your voice to express yourself and advocate for others. Be bold and take risks. Stay open to change and growth. Let curiosity lead you to awesome discovery, and compassion to moments filled with love. Opportunity lies ahead! Time to show the world how amazing you are! Congratulations, and go get ’em, Wildcat! — Julia Yeam (WCAS ’18, FSM ’19)
I am a pediatric endocrinology fellow at Columbia University Medical Center, though helping to work in the ICU during the COVID19 response in New York City. I have been reflecting on how my education in the Global Health program has helped me think critically about the different government responses to the pandemic and the social determinants of health affecting patients all around the country.
To the GHS graduates: I wish you luck in your future endeavors, and I am proud of you all for pursing global health studies in this difficult time. I hope some of your use your background to work in public health in the US and abroad, but I think a global health education will be valuable for all of your future careers. — Alyson Weiner (WCAS ’11)
Hello GHS Class of 2020! A year ago, I was in your position: looking towards graduation and wondering what comes next. Granted a year ago, we were not in the midst of a pandemic, but the overwhelming uncertainty that characterizes the end of one journey was very much present. When I was approaching my own graduation from Northwestern there were only two things that I was certain of: 1) I was going to miss my time at Northwestern but 2) I was ready to move forward. Over the past year, I have been fortunate enough to work first as a Research Fellow for the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative and now as a Science Education Fellow through Northwestern’s Science in Society. I have also been able to continue my studies as a Master of Science in Health Communication Candidate, also here at Northwestern.
The common thread in all of these things is Global Health. Were it not for my Global Health minor, I would have never taken the Health Communication in the Era of Precision Medicine course that served as my elective choice for this minor and thus would have never found out about, fell in love with nor pursued a Master’s in Health Communication. Additionally, were it not for my global health minor, I would have never spent an entire summer engaging in health equity research right here in Chicago or known the importance of considering the impact that the sociocultural context has on a student’s educational attainment. My global health minor has not only changed my perspectives for the better, it is also the basis for how I approach everything that I do now, and I believe that this minor will prepare you well for whatever you decide to pursue in the future. On that note, the current coronavirus pandemic has brought to the forefront the health disparities and health inequities that we are all familiar with, and reminds us of the need to continue working to reduce these disparities. It has also required that we be adaptable; for example, in my work as a Science Education Fellow I have had to transition to engaging with my students through online learning and switching our focus from content learning to promoting wellness.
As uncertain as things are right now, I hope that as you move forward, you commit yourselves to work that you are passionate about, work that impacts your community both locally and globally, and most importantly work that reflects the values that you have been taught as a Global Health students. As our politicians talk about a return to normal, examine what this normal entailed and make the decision to work towards the creation of a new and more equitable normal. You are well equipped and positioned to change not only how we think about health but also how we talk about it and consider the factors that influence it. For now, celebrate your achievements and breathe a sigh of relief. You have made it and You have more than earned it. I wish you all the best and congratulations!! — Nihmotallahi Adebayo (WCAS ’19, former WCAS SAB Rep)
Congratulations, graduating seniors!!! Northwestern’s Global Health Studies Program teaches you health is justice, and justice is health. This will equip you to advocate for human dignity in any and all of your future paths, even if these paths look differently than you expected. For example, as a law student at Northwestern Law, I utilize the tools I learned at GHS to advocate for the release of people experiencing incarceration, particularly during this global pandemic. These times can feel lonely and isolating, but please know you have a family of GHS alumni who are here to support you, and who are so excited to see all of the positive changes you all will continue to facilitate in this world. Congratulations! — Molly Crane (WCAS ’16)
— Julia Polk (WCAS ’07)
This pandemic has only reinforced the need for driven public health workers with innovative ideas and solutions. The gaps in our current system are brutally exposed and now is the time more than ever to keep fighting the good fight! Or better yet, to fight even harder! — Sara Zdunek (WCAS ’18), Public Health Project Associate, National Indian Health Board
Congratulations graduates! While it might feel like these are most unusual and uncertain times, I hope you have faith that interesting opportunities often spring from unexpected events. You are graduating from such a unique program, with skills and perspective that will help you charter your path. Good luck! –Leah Witt (WCAS ’07), geriatrician and pulmonologist at UCSF
Congrats GHS grads of 2020! You did it! While this is not the celebration your hard work deserves, I hope you will take some time to stop and reflect on how much you have learned and grown during your time at NU. Along with you, I too was supposed to be celebrating my own graduation this spring (it has been a long journey to become Rebecca Haines, MSW, MPH), so I know how hollow these words of encouragement and congratulations can sound. Despite how anticlimactic this graduation season feels, I encourage you to really take time to pause and celebrate because you absolutely deserve it! The next steps after college can be scary and difficult, and the current crisis certainly has not made this transition any easier. That said, you are ready for the next part of your journey. You have the support of the NU and GHS communities; remember this and utilize us whenever you can. You have the incredible education you received through this program; don’t forget the aspects that most impacted you and allow these lessons to continue to guide you (I know I certainly have). I am so excited to welcome you to the ~alumni life~ and I can’t wait to see all of the amazing things you accomplish! Congratulations! — Rebecca Haines (SOC ’14), former GHS Program Assistant
Hi 2019-2020 Graduates! Congrats on this amazing accomplishment, we are so proud of you! Go ‘Cats! Post-graduation, I was a Fulbright Scholar in South Korea for a year. The world seems to be chaotic and uncertain during this scary and unpredictable COVID-19 pandemic. As Global Health students, you carry insights into the complexities of managing a health crisis and the long-term consequences of inequities and injustice during these times. Your education is valuable. I urge you to reflect on your knowledge and have discussion with your peers, alumni, family, and friends. You all are brilliant, and I am confident that you will figure out how to use your talents, education, network, and, most importantly, your voice to build a global community that fights for the health of every individual. Remember, we are here for each other, so reach out! So here’s to us staying safe, taking care of ourselves, our families, and each other, and fighting for a future where we can all thrive! — Rishika Bheem (WCAS ’18), Clinical Research Assistant, American Hip Institute
I am a family physician who works at a Federally Qualified Health Center serving underserved patients in the Bronx, New York. It has been very hard hit during this pandemic, and the racial, ethnic, and economic disparities have been highlighted once again. I am not on the front lines currently, as I recently had a baby girl and am on maternity leave. However, I am gearing up to return to work and deal with the challenges this pandemic has thrown at us. It is certainly going to change the way we interact in society and will also fundamentally change the way primary care is practiced. For example, tele-health is becoming much more common, and we will have to innovate how to get important patient data to make clinical decisions remotely.
I wish all the graduates well and encourage them to continue to think flexibly and creatively about solutions to the world’s greatest challenges – I have full confidence in them to shape the world to be a better place. —Azmina Bhayani (WCAS ’08)
Class of 2020, I wanted to extend my warmest congratulations to you all for graduating from Northwestern University and the Department of Global Health Studies. We live in incredibly interesting, yet important times. I don’t think any of us could have ever imagined the first 6 months of 2020 being anything close to what we’ve experienced, but there is a lot we can take away from it as we begin to move forward. You all are going to go on to do incredible things, no matter what field you choose to pursue. You will become public health professionals, doctors, scientists, lawyers, public officials, advocates, educators, lifelong learners, and so much more.
Despite the differences in your paths to get here and your paths moving forward, you all have much more in common than you may think. You are all gifted with knowledge and educational privilege that will open doors of opportunity for you. You all have taken incredibly thoughtful courses in this department that have shifted your thinking and opened your eyes to issues you may not have been keen to before. Above all, you all have the power and the ability to make a genuine and concrete difference in your communities. As you embark on your next journey, ask yourself what you want your legacy to be when it is all said and done. Ask yourself the tough questions and have the uncomfortable conversations about our world that challenge you. Tackle on issues of systemic racism, structural inequities, and injustice head-on, and be an advocate for those who need you most right now.
We have all heard this growing up: you are going to grow up to and make a difference in this world. Now, more than ever, we need you to grasp onto that notion and run with it. You have the power to change lives and make a difference in our neighborhoods, in this country, and across the globe. Continue to push yourself, but remember that you are human. You will make mistakes, you will be imperfect, and you will struggle at times. Whenever you fall down, never forget that there will always be people in your corner to lift you back up and support you in any way that you may need it. Practice love and empathy for the world around you, and be sure to be that person when those around you need lifting up as well.
From the bottom of my heart, I wish you the fondest congratulations. I am so excited to see what each and every one of you will go on to do in making a difference in our world. I am proud to be an NU GHS alum alongside you all, and look forward to your future. Cheers, and good luck. — Jazib Gohar (WCAS ’18)
— Emily Roskey (SESP ’12)
2020 Graduating Seniors in Global Health Studies at Northwestern, as a student who graduated last year, it seems unbelievable that it has been almost a year since finishing college. The past year has been tremendously valuable and insightful.
At the personal and professional level, I have been able to utilize the critical thinking and analytical skills I have developed through global health courses into my work as a research manager for a health tech startup. At the company I work for, we are trying to eliminate barriers to access of easy-to-use and affordable health technology for older adults with dementia, especially those in rural and Indigenous communities who have limited access to health care services. We’ve also recently pivoted temporarily to adapt our existing technology to help with contact tracing and social distancing efforts to help institutions, governments and other organizations reopen safely and return to the “new normal”.
The global events that have occurred in the past six months have unearthed several issues—whether it’s food and water insecurity, racial injustice, inequities in health system to the disparities among the global North and South and rich and the poor. Many of these topics that have been brought into the limelight were not new for me. What was new was how many people did not really understand them before. What was new was how many people may have seen these issues before but remained ignorant. What was new was how much even I, as someone who has encountered literature surrounding these topics before, had yet to learn.
The lessons I’ve learned from global health and anthropology courses were the ones that helped me make important decisions at work and in life. It is a lens that I carry with me everywhere—a perspective that demonstrates my empathy, love for learning, and nature to think deeply about even the simplest and most engrained of things.
Surely, if you have stuck with global health this far, you must have a similar passion to keep learning, and that is what I urge you to do once you graduate. I hope you continue to think critically at work, in graduate studies, at home, and wherever you may be. These may but uncertain times, but what is certain is how well the Global Health Studies department prepares you for the real world and the challenges that come with it. Wishing you all the very best as you move forward onto the next chapter. Go ‘Cats! — Grishma Reddy (WCAS ’19)
Congratulations GHS class of 2020! While current circumstances make it difficult to gather in the traditional sense, we celebrate you and are immensely proud of your accomplishments! One value that was reinforced through my GHS experience is the importance of community. We all have a role in this collective experience, and while our capacity for human connection is currently being tested, we must cherish these moments of joy. Now that you’ve done the hard work of earning your degree, I encourage you to take time to process, reflect, and celebrate! Stay connected. Be curious. Enjoy the adventure. You’ve got this! — Tiana Hickey (WCAS ’16)
Dear Global Health Studies Graduates,
What a year to mark your graduation from Northwestern University and specifically, the Program in Global Health Studies. I don’t have much wisdom or guidance to share considering we are all figuring it out in real time but let me offer a little bit of what’s circulating through my messy head as of late.
This requires a quick, yet, relevant flashback. I was given the opportunity to study abroad in Stellenbosch, South Africa as part of the Global Health Studies program in 2008. At the time, I had formally switched my major to Cultural Anthropology and was looking forward to eventually pursuing medical school as a more “well rounded” candidate despite my very subpar performance in organic chemistry. Minoring in Global Health was one way for me to explore my burgeoning interests and situate them in a broader, international context. However, there was no way for me to predict the ways this global experience would shape my own politics in the years to come. While in Stellenbosch, we experienced the lurking shadows of a post-Apartheid nation, a freedom that was barely two decades old at the time, but one still marked by stark racial segregation and heavy policing in communities of color. As I’m sure you’re painfully aware, this landscape is not uncommon on the other side of the Atlantic.
Fast forward to today: I did eventually become a doctor but not an M.D. I am currently Assistant Professor in Cultural Anthropology and Ethnic Studies at California State University, San Bernardino. My myriad experiences have not only shaped my professional paths but have essentially created new ones, ones I didn’t even have the capacity to imagine as I was preparing for post-college life. I graduated from NU a year after the great recession, and while that does not compare to this current moment that you all are navigating as soon-to-be grads, I hope that you allow inspiration to emerge from the uncertainty in ways that will build on the critical skills you’ve honed over the years. This moment shows us that regardless of the field you’re in, dismantling the systemic forms of racial, classed, and gendered violence that are deeply embedded in our society is a responsibility we all bear. Here’s hoping your individual paths strive towards collective justice in all the possible and (seemingly) impossible ways! We all need you. — Hareem Khan (WCAS ’09)
Congratulations GHS Class of 2020! You made it! Despite all the uncertainty, each of you has demonstrated resilience and determination that exemplify what it truly means to be a Wildcat and public health professional. We are all so proud of you! It is a daunting time to do the work you have been trained for, but today, more than ever, our world needs people like you who are committed to fighting inequality and improving the health of people all around the world. You might find yourselves expected to do a lot, with limited resources and recognition, but remember that your work in public health will always be important. Wishing you all the best of luck! Go Cats! — Jui Kothari (MCC ’17)