""I chose to pursue the GHS certificate because I wanted to continue pursuing my interest in global health. Through this program, I was able to understand the impact of individual health and health care deliveries. I hope to work with organizations in the US and abroad."

"Initially I chose to pursue a Global Health Certificate because I loved traveling, understanding health concerns on a global scale, and I thought it was a great way to diversify my academic background. However, enrolling in Critical Issues in Global Maternal and Child Health (GHS 606) was the catalyst for establishing the trajectory of my entire career path. I was able to sit down with staff and really discuss my interests. My professor took time with me, and through those conversations I was exposed to the need for African American birth doulas, African American lactation consultants, our then partnership with Eve for Life in Kingston, Jamaica, and Peace Corps. I went on to become a trained Birth Doula in 2016, serve as an international volunteer with Eve for Life, and serve as a Maternal and Child Health Peace Corps Volunteer (Rwanda 2017-2019). I am so thankful for the things I have learned..

"Coming from a multicultural background, I have always been interested in learning more of how culture and identity influences health. The certificate has given me more insight to the realities of working in global health"

"I chose to pursue the GHS certificate because I wanted to gain a more thorough knowledge on public health crises in other parts of the world besides the United States. The most useful lesion that I have learned in the GHS program has been that communities have the power to create change."

"I am interested in sustainable food & water systems to improve health. My class by far was the SIFAT Field Course! The course is highly practice, informative, and relevant."

"My favorite class in the certificate was about maternal and child health. This class has given me a deep insight into the real world problems women in the communities face. It talked about issues like female genital mutilation, domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, complications in pregnancy, lack of healthcare systems in the rural areas across the world and so on. I had the opportunity to see the interviews about these issues given by various healthcare workers in different parts of the world like Kenya and Jamaica. I like how they have explained the strategies they use for bringing better opportunities for the women in their communities."

"The most useful lesson I learned in the program is the management of NGOs. My NGO just got established in my home country, Ghana"

"My degree in Public Health and certificate in Global Health mean everything. I am the first person in my family to get my Master's, which is such an accomplishment. But really this degree is a stepping stone to improve health outcomes for homeless folks, disabled folks, and those who have been ignored because they were not deemed important enough. The most useful lesson I learned from the GHS certificate is definitely to embrace being uncomfortable and embrace not knowing something. It is so important to not shy away because of things that are different than ourselves, but rather to take the opportunity to learn from these areas and be better."

"I have participated in lots of opportunities both in the USA and abroad. However, I had never understood what it meant to be in global health. I feel like I had a narrow view of the world and the GHS certificate helped me expand my horizons.

"Through global health coursework I learned that it takes planning, negotiating, relationships, and a good dose of reality to create a program that truly meets the needs of the people"

"I chose to complete the GHS certificate program because in the future, I would like to work with organizations in both the U.S. and abroad."

"The MPH program in conjunction with the GHS certificate opened my eyes to issues of infectious diseases that I can pursue both domestically and internationally"

"My favorite class was about refugee health. It's very important to have difference perspectives in order to understand global problems and produce policies related to global crises."

"I am most interested in how global and public health align with creating resilient, sustainable communities. The global approach of this program really drives home the inequities in healthcare around the world. The program also highlights the amazing (successful) strategies used by various governments, NGOs, and community leaders to tackle the innumerable healthcare access issues faced by the lowest income communities."