Path to MPH Graduate Student Panel
Getting a Master of Public Health degree might seem scary at first, but fear not because we have graduate students that are currently finishing up their MPH and would love to share their journey with you! We will be breaking down the steps and explore the different paths that people took to get into a Master of Public Health program.
Mona Bdaiwi
Mona Bdaiwi is a second year in the Masters of Public Health program here at UC Berkeley. She graduated from UC Irvine in 2016 with a BA in Spanish and a BS in Public Health Sciences. As a Muslim, Mexican-Syrian woman, Mona is committed to addressing the health disparities that impact the communities she comes from, as well as other underserved communities of color. Her concentration is in Public Health Nutrition, and her interests include health equity, access to health-related services, community-based health, and food insecurity. Originally from Southern California, Mona intends to move back down after graduation and share from the experiences and opportunities she has had in the Bay Area in order to serve, uplift, and empower her community to lead their best and most healthy lives.
Yvette Hernandez
Yvette Alcalá Hernández grew up in Oakland and attended UC Berkeley 2012-2016. Studying Integrative Biology and Gender & Women’s studies helped Yvette develop her approach to healthcare through an intersectional lens. As a CHE alum, her involvement in the organization only further cultivated her passion for accessible healthcare and inclusive health education.
Yvette is currently a first-year MPH student at Touro University California where she studies Community Health. Her current focus is on women's health and is currently involved with Solano HEALS to combat the epidemic of infant mortality in the Black population of Solano County. Yvette's personal research project encompasses the effects of endocrine disruptors on female fertility. Upon receiving her MPH and working in the field, Yvette aspires to receive her medical degree and specialize in obstetrics and gynecology as a medium to contribute to women’s health and reproductive justice.
Noreen Syed
Noreen Syed is a second year MPH student at the University of California, Irvine with an emphasis in Sociocultural Health and Diversity. Noreen’s background as a South Asian American has inspired her interest in serving ethnic minorities. She has made it her aim to better understand disparities in maternal and child health in vulnerable populations. Noreen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2015 with a B.S. in Public Health and a minor in English. Currently, Noreen is working as a Social Media Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) for the UCI Graduate Division and is an intern for the Family Health Department of the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA). She was previously a research assistant for the UCI Physical Education Study where she aimed to determine how differences in socioeconomic status are associated with screen time behavior and physical activity levels.