The USF College of Public Health (COPH) welcomed master’s and doctoral  students to a graduation ceremony presented at the college (and also livestreamed) to family, friends, students, faculty and staff on May 5.

Dr. Donna Petersen, dean of the COPH, began the ceremony sharing the morning’s top news headlines. The dean noted that the public’s health is an ever-present concern (and news topic) for the country and the world.

“Why does that matter?” asked Petersen. “Because everything that happens in our environment affects our health.”

Every year, the COPH Excellence in Teaching awardee offers words of encouragement to the graduating class. This year’s speaker was Patrick Rodriguez, instructor I.

“As you enter this next phase of your lives, we encourage you to remember the importance of being a lifelong learner. The field of public health is constantly evolving, and it is essential to stay up to date with the latest research, technologies and best practices,” he said. “We also encourage you to embrace diversity and inclusivity in your work, recognizing that health equity cannot be achieved without addressing the root causes of social and economic disparities.”

Drs. Janice Zgibor, Amy Alman, Jaime Corvin and Victor Weedon rounded out the ceremony, presenting the Class of 2023 with their degrees and class gifts.

Zgibor, professor and associate dean for Academic Affairs, spoke to the PhD and DrPH graduates.

“I’m so proud of the accomplishments that you have made. It’s taken some time, but you did it. I had the privilege of reading all of your projects and you have made an impact on public health today as we speak,” Zgibor said.

Moving onto the MPH, MSPH and MHA students, Corvin, associate professor and director of MPH programs, urged the graduates to stand up for the vulnerable, fight for the innocent and weak and advocate for change.

“Let nothing stand in the way of your drive and passion, and never cease to be inspired,” she said.

While the graduate student ceremony was underway, the undergraduate studies team celebrated BSHS and BSPH graduates with a stop-in photo booth session before the USF Health ceremony at the USF Yuengling Center.

This semester, 684 undergraduates, 129 students seeking their master’s degree and 10 doctoral students graduated and entered the public health profession.

Here Are Some of the Stories From the Class of 2023:

Cayla Lomax’s path to public health wasn’t a straightforward one.

“In my last year of undergrad, I took a health economics course on a whim. It’s somewhat hyperbolic, but this class completely changed my trajectory. I knew nothing about the health care industry and knew even less about public health but upon taking this course, I completely fell in love with the topic. I loved learning about the health care industry and was eager to learn more. I wanted to know if it was possible to ‘fix’ the industry and I wanted to pursue further education that was more centered on health policy to find out. This is what ultimately led me to public health.”

As an MPH student concentrating in health policies and programs, Lomax said her favorite memories were passing the CPH exam and being a part of the Black-ish in Public Health student organization.

After graduation, Lomax will be working in the Hillsborough County Department of Health (DOH) as a human services program specialist.

“What I love most about this position is that you can see public health directly in action. The program I’ll be working on seeks to address the social determinants of health of clients that the DOH works with,” she said. “We’re looking to improve the health outcomes of our clients by addressing and connecting them to community resources that can meet their social needs, such as food security or transportation. I love how my position will allow me to work directly with the population we’re serving—I feel like by doing so you can really get a feel for how we can positively impact people’s lives.”

A two-time USF alumna, Chinwendu Ilonzo graduated with her MPH with concentrations in epidemiology and maternal and child health.

“Already a one-time USF alum, USF has always been a school I’ve called home,” said Ilozo, who earned her BS in biomedical science in 2019. “Being familiar with the campus, different activities and opportunities available and the wonderful people that study and teach here, I didn’t want to go anywhere else for my public health degree.”

During her time at the COPH, Ilonzo was involved in several organizations, even founding and serving as president of the Black-ish in Public Health student organization.

Ilonzo is excited to start her full-time position as a health care associate supporting and implementing initiatives focused on health care policy and performance measures.

“What I love about this position is that I will be able to apply the skills and knowledge I have gained during my program. Also, that the work is centered around improving the quality of health care through policy and systems change,” she said. “This position is heavily focused on written communication for different audiences, literature reviews, project management and developing relationships with internal and external stakeholders —all of which I have built a solid foundation for during my time as a graduate student. I feel the COPH has prepared me to take this next step!”

In the future, Ilonzo hopes to become a physician and open a medical practice that is more accommodating and accessible to Black and brown communities. She’d also like to evaluate maternal health programs and develop policies that improve community health.

Laura Pemble was first introduced to public health while studying comparative health systems and health policy abroad in Sydney, Australia, during her freshman year at Florida State University. When she returned to Florida, she decided to focus on health management and pursue her MHA at the COPH.

During her time at the COPH, Pemble said she was most proud of how much she grew in terms of professionalism and exploring a multitude of opportunities.

“I stepped out of my comfort zone for many opportunities, including running for and being voted president of the Health Management Student Association and for accepting a summer internship position in Chicago, where I did not know anyone in the city,” she said.

After graduation, Pemble will be pursuing an administrative fellowship at Tampa General Hospital. The yearlong program is designed to be a continued-learning experience where she will be doing rotations through various departments and completing several high-level projects.

“As I begin working hands-on in a hospital, I will apply the knowledge and professionalism I acquired in my classes to build relationships and be successful in future endeavors,” she said. “I believe this program was an amazing experience and immensely furthered my career. The opportunities that I was provided with are invaluable, and this program was very nurturing.”

The first in her family to graduate from college, Jacqueline Perez earned her BA in global health and international comparative studies from Duke University before deciding to attend the COPH for her MPH in health promotion and behavior.

Perez was first introduced to public health after landing an internship at the Duke Student Wellness Center (DuWell) her freshman year of undergrad.

“I didn’t know it then, but my job at DuWell introduced me to public health and the world of health education and promotion. During my four years as a DuWell intern, I had the opportunity to create and lead the implementation of health promotion projects centered around topics in sexual health, healthy relationships and mindfulness,” she said. “As someone who values creativity, this was my first work experience creating projects and programs to improve the health and well-being of my peers—and having fun while doing so. Once I realized this, I knew public health was the place for me.”

During her time at the COPH, Perez was involved in Eta Sigma Gamma and the USF Health Executive Student Leadership Board. She was also a graduate assistant for the Florida Research Prevention Center (FPRC) and Dr. Rita Debate, researching food insecurity among college students.

After graduation, Perez is excited to join the health communication research team at Fors Marsh as a research analyst.

“I never imagined myself as a research analyst, but one of the things that I love about this position is the potential for impact by developing evidence-based public health programs for our communities. I am also excited to work with a team of researchers who are driven and put people first,” she said.

A first-generation American, Calandra Peterkin had always been around health care coming from a family of nurses and midwives.

“My journey has been interesting. I wanted to become a lawyer when I was younger. However, in 2018, I became a medication technician and resident aide. From then on, I knew I wanted to be in health care,” she said. “I got into public health when I started as a freshman at USF and was amazed by how much public health covers without having to be a nurse or in direct patient care.”

During her time at USF, Peterkin was involved in numerous organizations, including the National Council of Negro Women, Black Female Development Circle, National Society of Black Women in Medicine, co-chair for education for Time for Change and vice president/health chair for the USF Chapter of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Peterkin was recently accepted in the COPH’s MPH program and will also be working as a community health worker.

“I love that this new position focuses on overcoming social determinants of health and getting patients to their primary care practitioner rather than using the ER,” she said. “I love trying to build the bridge to the continuity of care and having the physician’s support.”

As she continues her graduate-level education, Peterkin said, “I hope to build relationships with more professors at USF! I want to be a part of more discussions and become a certified health education specialist.”

After earning her BS in communication sciences and disorders in 2011 and a BS in event management with a minor in 2014, both from the University of Central Florida, Aura Marie Reyes knew she needed to come the USF for her public health degree.

“It’s a funny story! In high school, I was a part of a club called Future Business Leaders of America. We were on our way to a conference and my teacher decided to book a university tour at USF. Since then, I always had a feeling that I would be studying at USF one day. As the pandemic affected the hospitality industry, I thought it was the perfect time to pivot my career and apply for a master’s in public health. I was living in New Jersey at the time and I saw that USF had an MPH. I decided to apply and move back to Florida to be closer to my family. I think in an odd way it was fate.”

One of Reyes favorite memories at the COPH was being asked to join the Florida Prevention Research Center (FPRC) team as a graduate research assistant working on a project that aligned with her previous experience in hospitality.

“I was able to lead, delegate tasks and learn to code a qualitative study. The major accomplishment though was completing the target number of interviews needed for one population. Recruitment is hard!”

Reyes said that she’ll always remember the people that she met while in the MPH program and the support they gave each other through all the highs and lows.

Story by Caitlin Keough, USF College of Public Health