A Student Highlight Featuring Dual-Degree MS/MPH Student, Tracy Huang
Tracy Huang is a full-time student at GPH; she also works full-time as a registered nurse in a hospital emergency room. In fact, it was her experiences during Covid-19 that sparked her interest in public health. “There were a lot of difficult emotions, and wanting to do better but not being able to; I was just one mini-soldier in a big system.” Beyond Tracy’s desire to understand why our nation’s healthcare system had failed its workers, “What got me to apply for public health school was that we just want to help people, but we work in a system that’s broken.”
It used to make her angry when she witnessed suffering caused by a lack of rights and protections. But now, “I want to find solutions that help healthcare workers and also improve the system they work in.” So Tracy took advantage of her tuition remission benefit to pursue a dual degree: an MS in Nursing Education and an MPH concentrating in Global Health — which she chose because it had the most electives to explore a broad range of public health topics.
Approaching coursework through the lens of a healthcare worker enabled Tracy to see systems from a unique perspective. “I came into this thinking, ‘Why can't we just throw money at problems?’ Slowly I’m changing my mindset and realizing that yes, money is good for many things, but there’s a limited amount of money. So, how do we make things better? Sometimes nursing can limit your thinking: Why try something new? Or no amount of money can fix this. But in my public health studies, I’m learning how to use more imaginative ways to help people. It's a completely different way of looking at solutions.”
For Tracy, these new perspectives are a product of GPH’s remarkable courses and professors. “Brian Spitzer made me love biostats -- people have fun learning with him. And Michael Merson is a great professor I had in my first semester. We would talk about different topics every week, like the environment or misinformation.” Being in class also allowed Tracy to organically combine academic and personal growth. “When I became a student again, I had a lot of social anxiety about speaking in class; I would have heart palpitations. But I still had to do it, because that’s how you improve.” Then she enrolled in Teams and Strategy in Public Health Management. “I knew I liked working in teams from years in the emergency room — I don't think I will ever want to work alone.” Led by Alden Lai, the class gave Tracy plenty of practice expressing herself. “It was very discussion-based, and soon I realized I wasn’t having those palpitations; I didn’t feel scared to talk in class. He's a very calm professor, very welcoming and easygoing.”
Tracy’s mindset isn’t the only thing to change since her undergraduate days. “It's fun to become a student again,” Tracy said, “but also nerve-wracking to reapply that identity onto yourself. I wondered what it feels like to work full-time and go to school full-time.” Tracy generally works 12-hour shifts, three to four times a week, and the other days are reserved for school. “I know a lot of students work full-time,” she said, “so I'm not an oddity at all.” While she doesn’t have much time to spend with her classmates, Tracy makes sure every moment counts. “Especially now that I'm back in school and putting in time and effort, I’m much more intentional about it,” she said.
Tracy's time at GPH has shown her a number of pathways post-graduation, such as a career in research. “I used to think that research was kind of boring. But it's fun when you're interested in something.” She also discovered a passion for health communications, particularly in digital media. “I'm really interested in how AI can be used to improve communication. I took a class called Public Health Communication for Impact to learn how to convey health information digitally. Communicating effectively is big in a world where conspiracy theories and misinformation are rampant.”
Tracy’s ideal profession would unite her passions for protecting healthcare workers’ rights, conducting research and using technology to improve health communications. “I have this dream where I get to teach people, but also do research in AI and communications.” Regardless of where she ultimately decides to take her public health expertise, Tracy knows the opportunities are abundant. “I have a lot of interests but I also have a lot of legroom, because the public health sector is huge.”