We’re proud to have Sarah Ma join us and we’ve asked her to introduce herself:
I am a rising senior at Boston University completing my B.S. in Health Science. I am also pursuing my MPH with a concentration in Health Policy and Law at Boston University School of Public Health as an enrollee in the 4+1 BS/MPH program.
Going into college, I thought I was going to become a medical professional. However, as I began my coursework, I realized that I did not want to just provide care at the individual level. I wanted to reach a larger population, to find ways to improve health outcomes and alleviate health inequities. That is how I found public health, and I am beyond happy that I discovered a field I deeply care about.
Over the past few years, I have continued to develop this passion for public health. I served as a social justice and health equity consultant for the City of Framingham, a local government just outside of Boston, to mitigate chronic homelessness in the town center. While I was with Framingham, I fell in love with working with underserved populations. I enjoyed the process of turning a desire to help others into policies that create meaningful and lasting change.
Prior to this, I had worked on several research projects with the BU Department of Economics. I was part of a team that created a new system of diagnostic codes to document patient outcomes. As an undergraduate sophomore, I was a coauthor of a PhD dissertation modeling public school opening and closing dates with the aim to predict infectious disease rates as they relate to school schedules. Combined with my time as a consultant, these roles have played an integral part in cementing my conviction to become a public health professional.
By interning with C-TAC this summer, I hope to build upon my past work to create a comprehensive picture of what public health means to me. Within my own family, I have seen the difficulties individuals with advanced illness face while searching for appropriate resources and providers. These experiences have led me to C-TAC, and I could not be more excited to be involved with an organization whose mission I wholeheartedly believe in. It takes a village to create change, and I am eager to do my part in building that village as a Partnerships & Programs Intern.
Thank you very much for taking the time to learn about me. If you would like to chat more, feel free to reach out at sma@thectac.org or through LinkedIn.
– Sarah Ma
