Carla DeSisto ’10

I first learned about public health as a student at SJU. I had previously thought I wanted to be a medical doctor, but my coursework and experiential learning made me realize that I was most interested in the health of populations, rather than working at the individual-level. After my graduation, I was a full-time volunteer with Mercy Volunteer Corps in Savannah, GA at a clinic for uninsured and primarily undocumented people. That solidified my passion for population health, and women's health in particular. From there, I pursued a Masters of Public Health at Emory University and later a PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. As I look back, I am confident that my classes, mentors, and service-learning opportunities at SJU put me on my current career path.

I defended my dissertation for my PhD when I was 38 weeks pregnant! 

I live in Atlanta, so I think the leader I most admire right now is Stacey Abrams. I'm always amazed at how well she connects with the people she serves, and at how hard she works for civil rights.

 Be kind to everyone you meet. That includes yourself.

I faced a lot of rejections during my senior year at SJU. Graduate schools, volunteer programs, jobs...honestly, I can't tell you how many rejection letters I received, but they were plentiful. However, I ended up in a post-graduate volunteer program that was a perfect fit for me, and have been very successful in my career in public health.