The Superpower of Experience: Starting a Graduate Program as an Older Student

Deciding to go back to school later in life can be intimidating, but for those passitionate about the field of public health, graduate school may be the best decision. Soumya Menon, a rising 2nd year Master of Health Science (MHS)  in Health, Behavior, and Society student in the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shares her experience of wantingto go back to school after years of experience and what she's learned along the way. As a communications professional and first-generation Indian American woman, Soumya's serendipitous research work in health communication fortified her interest in public health. Having previously worked with rural communities in India, she knows first-hand the challenges in accessing, processing, and translating information to adopt health protective behaviors.   Soumya is currently working as a Research Assistant in the REACT Lab led by Dr. Meghan Moran, Associate Professor in the Department of Health, Behavior, and Society. Soumya's research focuses on investigating advertising and marketing tactics of oral nicotine pouch brands on social media in the context of politics and pop culture.   Soumya's background in communication, personal experiences, and prior work inform her research interests in communication for health equity and designing and implementing communication interventions grounded in theory and situated in culture and community. Soumya's overall goal is to work at the intersection of communication, health, and public policy, with her main research interest focused on identifying and addressing communication inequalities that contribute to health disparities.  Learn more about how to apply to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.