This week, the School of Public Health celebrated its 2024 Winter graduates with students, faculty and staff joining together on Dec. 10 to commemorate the new graduates’ achievements and honor their milestone.
“Every time I talk with our SPH graduating students, I am so heartened by the intellect, compassion and skills they’re bringing to the world of public health,” said SPH Dean Boris Lushniak. “This year’s graduates are going out into the world ready to be leaders, to do public health good. I can’t wait to see all that I know they will accomplish.”
One new graduate at the celebration was Taeilorae Levell-Young who has earned her master’s degree in environmental health science. As someone with a learning disability, Levell-Young was nervous about joining her program; however, she successfully completed it and recently received a job as health consultant in the water industry.
“As a first-generation student, having my master's alone is a really big accomplishment. Getting to this point is huge. I’m really proud of myself,” Levell-Young said. “I want to let every other student know that they can do the same thing and get a good, high-paying job coming out fresh with a master’s degree.”
This year’s graduates are going out into the world ready to be leaders, to do public health good. I can’t wait to see all that I know they will accomplish.
-SPH Dean Boris Lushniak
Laouratou Diallo, a winter graduate in public health science is relieved and excited to be graduating – but also nervous. “I'm at the finish line of what I've been doing my whole entire life; it's a great achievement for me,” Diallo said. She hopes to apply to graduate school next year.
Diallo’s favorite SPH memory was when she studied abroad in India and learned about the Indian Health Care System. Her experience helped her become more open minded and culturally competent.
Master’s environmental health science graduate Barrie Pasternak appreciated the celebration of her and the other graduates’ academic effort. Among her most rewarding experiences: working as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate introduction to environmental health course, which she did for four semesters.
“Graduating is exciting because it's a commemoration of all the hard work that I've put in over the past couple of years,” Pasternak said.“I have learned a lot through this master's program, and so I'm excited to be done.”
Pasternak plans on taking a gap year and then aims to work in Australia in the marine conservation field.
-Sumaya Abdel-Motagaly '26
Check out a photo gallery of the SPH Winter Graduates Celebration on the SPH Flickr channel.