Student Speaker

HSPH 86th Commencement Ceremony

June 4, 2009

On behalf of the Class of 2009, I extend greetings to Dean Frenk, Dr. Gawande, faculty, alumni, and honored guests.  I would also like to offer a special welcome to the families of the graduates, whose encouragement and sacrifices have made our accomplishments possible.

I heard a lot of questions when I decided to go to Harvard to study public health.  People asked, isn't Harvard expensive?  What would you do with that degree?  My husband asked, how far is it to Boston?  However, there was one particular question that I didn't hear — maybe people assumed they knew the answer, or they thought it was silly to ask.  

But on the first day of orientation, we were asked, what is public health?  I looked around, and I thought, hmm, I thought this was the School of Public Health.  I thought, maybe you knew?

Actually, we were asked, how would you explain public health at a family gathering?  When your Uncle Joe turns to you and says, public health?  What is that, exactly?

After some thought, many of you raised your hands and offered some definitions.  I was struck by your insight and sincerity.  You talked about protecting the individual's health by addressing the needs of the entire population.  You talked about prevention and access to treatment.  You even cited the WHO's definition of health — a state of complete physical, mental and social well being, and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity.

Then from the back of the room, somebody said, public health is when Uncle Joe eats Shredded Wheat for breakfast instead of an Egg McMuffin, and knows why.  

Since that first day, you've all taught me so much.  You've inspired me with your commitment to promoting and protecting the health of the most vulnerable.  You've shown me how to understand the significance of what we've learned, how to think through the logic of an epidemiological study.  How to design a sex ed course that teenagers would actually pay attention to.  You've reminded me that without competence, discipline, integrity and reliable evidence, all our good intentions will never be realized.

So that's why we're here — to learn to be leaders in the urgent, controversial and essential field of public health.  

I didn't offer a definition that first day, but I've had a year to think about it.  What I've discovered is that I define public health as a more just and healthy future, something I see the demand for in every corner of the world.  

In Harare, public health means shelter, clean water, and food security, even when the government's ability to protect its citizen's safety is compromised.  It also means containing epidemics despite limited infrastructure.  

In Washington DC, public health means promoting patient safety, through electronic medical records, infection control, and surgical checklists.  It also means making sure that policies are based on rigorous, reliable evidence, rather than political positions.

In a village in India, it means that every pharmacy has effective malaria medication that even the poorest mother can access for her children.  It also means training illiterate women as village health workers to provide essential services.

In Boston, it means leading the way in universal health insurance that ensures equitable access to care.  It also means that campaigns to remind people to eat their vegetables, quit smoking and wear their seatbelts are translated into over 20 languages.

In Geneva, public health means holding multinational corporations accountable for their products, pollution, and profits.  It also means allocating scarce resources to improve the lives of the billion people living on less than a dollar a day, through the Millennium Development Goals.

We now go to these cities and to many others to reduce people's suffering and improve their chances for a better life.  Our work will depend not only on the skills that we cultivated here, but on our vision and commitment.

As practitioners, researchers, and one day leaders in public health, we have the great privilege to guide what is perhaps the most fundamental of all public goods.  With this comes tremendous responsibility.  I am humbled by the magnitude of the challenges that face us, but I am sustained by the knowledge that none of us must face them alone, for today we join the global community of those committed to working together to build a more just and healthy future.

Congratulations, Class of 2009.  Thank you.