Sambid Shrestha ’21 remembers the excitement he first experienced when his public health studies were put into action.  It happened at Caldwell in Professor Beature Turrene’s class on the “Theory of Health Beliefs” when he worked with the NJ Healthy Kids Initiative program at Rutgers University. He knew he was moving in the right career direction when he learned to devise strategies to help improve children’s health by conducting evidence-based research while studying changing trends in nutrition and physical fitness.   He was happy to produce videos to promote healthy eating, showing kids how to shop for and cook nutritious meals.  Shrestha wanted to tackle what he calls “the epidemic” of health problems caused by “food deserts” where  the food that is available is often unhealthy due to socioeconomic conditions.

After graduating from Caldwell, Shrestha worked for six months as a case investigator/contact tracer for COVID-19 and attended seminars with professionals. On the job, it clicked with him that learning to communicate through the language of data in public health could be effective in the delivery of information and prevention of illness. 

Now, as a graduate student at Boston University’s School of Public Health, he is studying to become a public health data scientist.  He says it is an intriguing disciplinary career combining data, techniques and technologies.  “The methodologies I will utilize can develop policies on the most effective ways to deliver care and treatment and new approaches to identify those at risk of sickness.”

Caldwell prepared him well. “As an international student from Nepal, Caldwell helped me build a strong foundation in academics, communication and integrity which I now use in graduate school. The professors guided me to achieve excellence, while my classmates helped me understand the value of friendship and respect.” As a resident assistant, he boosted his leadership skills, which helped him understand the importance of building community, for the residents and on campus. 

He has been a student at Boston since August. The experience has been “the perfect blend of data management and public health insights that I seek.” The program, he explains, prepares students for hands-on careers as health care data scientists or analysts and public health researchers. He is grateful for what he is learning in boosting his data and science and research skills and can’t wait to see what the future holds “to prepare for an exciting public health career.”