New Students Share Passions, Perspectives
The new class of Columbia Mailman School students brings diverse backgrounds and public health interests. They represent 40 states and 33 countries; nearly a third have prior work experience, and many hold advanced degrees. All come excited to gain new skills to make a difference in public health.
Shortly after arriving on campus to pick up their welcome packages—notably including a Columbia Mailman-branded tote—a handful of students interviewed for this story opened up about their motivations and aspirations.
Sofia Da Silva, from Toronto, first got interested in environmental health sciences as an undergraduate, where she studied the health impacts of data centers. “I’m interested in learning about the link between climate change and human health and doing research on that topic,” she says. “It’s always been a dream to go here. I’m super pumped!”
During his undergraduate studies, Kevin Mani studied multimedia journalism, where he had the opportunity to cover public health issues, ranging from Alzheimer’s to hospital management. Now, the New Haven native is switching gears by pursuing a Master in Health Administration (MHA) degree. “I investigated public health issues from the outside, and now I’m hoping to improve them from the inside,” he explains.
Many students said New York City was a major factor in their decision to choose Columbia Mailman, citing its vibrant environment and abundant career opportunities.
Athira Devi Suresh, a dentist from South India studying epidemiology as part of the Accelerated MPH program, said she looked forward to getting to know the city as more than just a visitor. Houston native Kaelen Baly agreed, noting, “I love the walkability.” Bailey, who studied psychology as an undergraduate, is keen to learn more about mental health from a population perspective as he earns an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences.
Even though they just arrived, many students already have a clear picture of what they want to learn and how they might apply that knowledge in their career.
Briana Rodriguez Castillo, originally from Denver, comes to Columbia Mailman with her service dog, Wanda. A dual degree student pursuing an MPH in Sociomedical Sciences and MSW from the Columbia School of Social Work, she says, “I’m looking to learn about social determinants and how to apply that to advocacy and fighting environmental racism.”
Abigail Liska from Cleveland is part of the 4+1 program, which will give her a BA from Barnard College and an MPH from Columbia Mailman on the completion of her fifth year. Liska, whose special interest is addressing intimate partner violence, says of her decision to study at Columbia Mailman, “I thought there was no better place to learn about everything I need to know and meet amazing people who also care about the world and public health and creating change than here at Mailman.”