Graduate Spotlight: Amanda Tran

Amanda Tran chose to pursue public health because she wanted to make an impact beyond individual patient care and help improve the health of entire populations. As a Master of Public Health (MPH) student in Health Systems Management & Policy, she became passionate about understanding how larger systems, policies, and social conditions shape community health outcomes.

“Instead of becoming a doctor for an individual, I wanted to pursue a profession that could improve the health of entire populations,” Amanda said. “Public health allowed me to combine my passion for helping others with the skills I felt most confident in.”

Throughout her studies, Amanda gained a deeper understanding of how factors such as systemic racism, environmental conditions, and access to resources influence health far beyond illness and disease alone. One concept that especially resonated with her was co-production in research, which values lived experiences and community voices alongside traditional data.

“As a social science, public health reminds us that data is more than numbers — it includes people’s stories and experiences,” she said. “I hope future generations learn to see the world through multiple perspectives.”

Amanda credits much of her success to the support of her cohort, mentors, friends, and family, all of whom encouraged her growth throughout graduate school. She also says her bunny played an important role as a comforting stress reliever during long academic days.

Following graduation, Amanda hopes to continue advocating for accessible, high-quality healthcare and systems that better support communities. She is passionate about reducing the financial and emotional burdens many people experience within healthcare systems and believes meaningful change happens through persistent collective effort.

“I want healthcare to be accessible and high-quality for everyone,” she said. “Change does not happen overnight, but continuing to push for it is one small step forward.”