Graduate Spotlight: Cecelia Petrik

Growing up in rural Oregon, Cecelia Petrik witnessed firsthand how geography and limited healthcare infrastructure can shape health outcomes. With few primary care providers, high clinic turnover, and long travel distances for care, she saw how structural barriers directly affected access to timely and consistent healthcare in her community.

“I saw how structural barriers dictated health outcomes in my community,” she said. “Some patients had to travel over an hour for care, and others delayed care due to transportation challenges.”

Cecelia’s interest in healthcare began through clinical exposure while shadowing local physicians in her high school Health Occupations program. She entered Portland State University as a pre-clinical health science student, but her perspective shifted after taking her first public health courses. There, she began to understand how health is shaped long before a patient enters a clinic.

Through this experience, she developed a systems-level understanding of healthcare and a stronger commitment to upstream interventions that address the root causes of inequity. Her passion for rural health equity also led her to independent research through the PSU Honors College, where she completed a senior thesis focused on prenatal care access and maternal health outcomes in rural communities.

“I feel extremely grateful for the support of my professors and advisor throughout this project,” she said. “Being able to contribute to this topic is important for awareness and policy.”

Throughout her academic journey, Cecelia’s lived experience in rural Oregon has remained central to her goals. She has seen firsthand how limited health education, workforce shortages, and resource constraints impact access to care, especially in rural and underserved areas.

Her family, friends, and professors have played a significant role in supporting her growth throughout her time at PSU, encouraging her to ask questions, explore ideas, and pursue her academic goals.

Following graduation, Cecelia will continue her education in the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health MPH Public Health Practice program while also working at Blue Mountain Hospital in John Day. She also looks forward to spending more time outdoors and exploring Oregon.

“I hope to work directly with communities to promote equitable access to quality healthcare,” she said.