Finding Public Health—and Her Voice
When Briana Nguyen arrived at the School of Public and Population Health (SPPH) at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), she was at a pivotal moment in her journey. With a biology degree in hand and experience working long shifts in a busy East Texas emergency department, she had seen firsthand how often patients returned—not because their conditions were unavoidable, but because preventable illnesses were worsened by high costs and persistent barriers to care. Those experiences sparked a deeper realization: improving health requires solutions that reach beyond the exam room and into the systems and communities that shape people’s lives.
Motivated to address these upstream challenges, Briana turned to public health. She began her UTMB journey by enrolling in an MPH certificate program to explore the field, but it quickly became clear that she had found her calling. She soon committed to the full Master of Public Health program at SPPH, with a concentration in Public Health Practice and a certificate in Global Health, an academic path that aligned with her passion for community-centered, prevention-focused work.
As a first-generation college and graduate student, Briana navigated much of higher education independently, an experience that now shapes how she encourages and supports others. Drawing from her own journey, she reminds her younger sister and fellow students that uncertainty is an essential part of growth. “Feeling unsure doesn’t mean you don’t belong,” she says. “It means you’re learning.”
Learning Public Health Through Community Partnership in Peru
For her Applied Practice Experience, Briana traveled to Lima, Peru, where she partnered with Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia and El Comedor Ermitaño Alto, a community-based nutrition program supporting young children with anemia. There, she helped develop a Google Site to increase the program’s visibility and created a Spanish-language evaluation survey for mothers whose children attend the comedor, working alongside local staff to better understand families’ experiences and needs.
The placement challenged her assumptions about what effective public health looks like in practice. “Working with El Comedor Ermitaño Alto reshaped how I think about effective public health,” she reflects.
Rather than relying on rigid structures or technology-heavy solutions, she saw how the program’s strength came from community leadership, shared responsibility, and deep trust among mothers, staff, and local partners. Those insights strengthened her commitment to maternal and child health, nutrition, and health systems that are built with communities, not just for them.
Lima, Peru | November 10, 2025 — Briana Nguyen (center) administers a survey she developed in collaboration with the Universidad de Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) with a participating mother (right) to better understand the needs and lived experiences of families with children enrolled in the program.
Elevating Student Life and Examining Health Misinformation
On campus in Galveston, Briana served as President of the SPPH Student Association, working to ensure that public health students had a visible, vibrant presence within UTMB. She focused on building student community, opening more channels for communication, and creating opportunities that showcased public health students’ contributions alongside peers from other schools.
The SPPH Student Association board collaborated with Austin Taylor to host an informational session for first- and second-year students focused on navigating the Applied Practice Experience (APE) and Integrative Learning Experience (ILE).
Academically, her Integrative Learning Experience examined health misinformation in the digital age and its impact on trust, equity, and public engagement with science. The project deepened her belief that public health professionals must be present, accessible, and proactive communicators—especially before crises emerge. Briana credits SPPH’s rigorous coursework, dedicated mentorship, and applied learning environment with helping her grow in confidence as a public health professional.
Looking Ahead
Fluent in English and Vietnamese and conversational in Spanish, Briana brings a global lens and a community-driven mindset to her work. As she moves into the next stage of her career, she remains committed to advancing maternal and child health, strengthening health systems, and supporting communities in building environments where everyone can thrive.
Her journey reflects the heart of UTMB’s mission—Where Purpose Meets Passion. It is a testament to resilience, curiosity, and the belief that public health is most powerful when it is rooted in people, relationships, and trust.
Briana’s path shows how purpose, when nurtured and guided, becomes meaningful action that strengthens communities both near and far.