Uyok Hanson ’22
Why did you choose Texas A&M’s School of Public Health?
“The rankings were important to me because if I was going to go overseas to school, it had to be one of the best schools in the country. I also chose Texas A&M’s School of Public Health because of its research capabilities as well as its network.”
What has your experience been like in the program?
“I have had many eye-opening moments at the school. Because my core interests are around policy and I come from a management background, I did not believe I was going to learn much from the management side. I have learned things about leadership I did not know before. I have also learned about research, public speaking, and the ability to affect population health from a policy perspective. My overall experience has been one of learning and growth.”
How do you feel this program has helped you prepare for a post-grad career?
“The school has helped me develop skills that enable me to affect population health from a policy perspective. I can look at a population needing a particular intervention and design an intervention to suit their needs. I have also developed leadership skills from the program and have learned the ways in which leadership is about building a team and developing people.”
What level of support have you received while in your program?
“The faculty are super supportive. Dr. Gerard Carrino wants feedback about how everyone has been impacted by the program. When you do not understand a concept, there is always a faculty member who can answer your question.”
What do you think of the coursework?
“The coursework is vigorous and challenging, but it is useful. It is reflective of real-world scenarios and at the same time it’s immersive.”
How do you feel you have changed, personally or professionally since the beginning of the program?
“I have become much more aware of my personal and professional interests, as well as my leadership style. I have been able to gain clarity about how to develop myself to be always a top performer in my career. I have also learned how to deal with people of different personalities and be better with my time management skills.”
What advice would you give someone looking into A&M’s School of Public Health?
“It is important to understand your ‘why’ and have a plan of action before getting here. It is important to know which concentration you want to go into in public health and why you want to so that you can hit the ground running.”
What are your plans for the future?
“I plan to go into academia to teach and develop action research for policy change, so that these concepts can work in most parts of the world. It is challenging, but it is a challenge I am looking forward to.”
What has been your favorite thing about the program?
“My favorite thing about the program has been meeting public health professionals. I am a people person, so meeting intelligent people who are agents of change has been my favorite part.”
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