Welcome to Harvard!

Welcome to Harvard! That's exactly what I was thinking when I arrived in Boston last year. I graduated with a B.A. in International Relations the year before, and after extensive research on global HIV/AIDS policy, I felt that pursuing a Master degree in the field of public health was the next logical step. I looked at (and was admitted to) other top institutions and considered accepting a Fulbright Fellowship to go abroad for a year, but in the end, the opportunities and prestige associated with Hah-vahd won. And here I am today!

My first year of the 2 year Master of Science (SM2) in the Department of Global Health and Population was, in a nut shell, cRaZy!! Reflecting on that first year, I think I went through every emotion from happy to sad, ecstatic to distraught, sleep deprived to lazy...you name it, and I probably felt it! The courses were time-consuming and covered subjects I'd never even heard of: epidemiology (which I thought was the study of skin), demography (something to do with graphing?), and biostatistics (biology and statistics combined...ugh!!). There were several times when I'd be at school until 3 am and consider sleeping there to avoid missing my 8:30 am class. I even spent my Saturdays and sometimes Sundays in the computer lab with a cup of instant noodles and a can of sugar-free red bull nearby...Those are some days that I won't miss!

While my first year was academically challenging for me, I also found it to be very socially rewarding. I developed a handful of relationships with some of the most remarkable people I have ever encountered including world travelers, people who speak 4 languages, doctors who are also phenomenal musicians, and so many others! And the best part was that somehow I was a part of this group too! I had my first real long-term relationship, which sadly ended in heartbreak for me, but I guess it's all a sign that I'm growing up. Whether attending student mixers at the Business and Law Schools, coordinating the HSPH Africa Health Forum Student Organization cultural show, conducting research in the slums of India over the Winter Session, or just going to a lounge to have a drink and unwind, my first year at Harvard wasn't just hard, it was fun!

So with that, it's time to hit the books again. I'm entering Fall Term 2 (the second half of the semester), and it has already proven very eventful. Stay tuned for details about my coursework, jobs, extracurricular activities, and maybe a few juicy personal bits too! It will really get you thinking if you want to go to Harvard...

A Bientot! 

All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.
-From British Lt. Col. T.E. Lawrence